Evanescent
by shadowfire
Summary: Destiny can it be avoided? Can it be recreated.Clex
1. Fields of Innocence

Dirt clung to him, forming an almost warm blanket from the cold winds that blew upon his nude body. His eyes were still closed, his hands curled around his knees, huddling into a fetal position. He felt safe like this, he knew that once he opened his eyes, the battle would begin. He wasn't ready for it to begin, he wanted the world he lived in to go back to being safe.

_I still remember the world_

From the eyes of a child

Life has been so much simpler when he was younger. He knew he was adopted, but he never questioned why or how that came to be. He had a family who loved him and protected him from anything that could bring harm to him. He could tell them everything about his days and they would just laugh at his goofy antics, and love him. He had been just like everyone else…

_Slowly those feelings_

Were clouded by what I know now

Then a silver Porsche had to come barreling into him, and everything changed. He saw his life being destroyed then being recreated in front of his eyes. He always knew he was different, but to know that there was no one at all like him in the world, that frightened him. He wasn't human…his parents weren't human either, and they had died. He had killed off thousands of people with his coming. He had killed off loved ones of the people he cared about the most, and he couldn't say a single thing to them to make them feel any better. And if they knew the truth, they would hate him. Everyone would hate him if they knew what he had done.

****

"Kal'el, look at me…"

He didn't want to look, if he looked, he had to acknowledge that he was different. It would be verifying that he was an alien, and that the person calling his name in the clouds was his father.

****

"Come to me…"

He knew all those things were true, but he had survived on the knowledge that he was raised as a human being, he felt like a human being, and thus he must be a human being. But now, he had just proved he wasn't. The language he heard in his ears was of no natural language on Earth, he had no knowledge of its meaning but he understood every word of it.

****

"You can't hide from who you are!"

Clark didn't want to hide who he was forever either, and he opened his eyes to look at the dark sky above him. They gazed into the nothingness, and for once, he did not feel the usual peace he felt when he looked at them. He felt fear, and he sighed, trying to relieve the pounding of his heart in his mind.

****

"That is better. Have you come to accept your destiny?"

The voice roared with parental pride, and it suffocated all of the teenager's reasoning skills. He just felt like fighting, and killing the voice. It was a return to the primal instincts he felt in his blood at times when he felt the red kryptonite infusing in his system.

His form was shaking, scared, but he stood tall, looking into the vacant landscape of dirt and the bare sky ahead. He opened his mouth to speak, and spoke what he had come to say, " I will not accept a destiny that involves me using my skills to dominate the world."

****

"Then all the people you love will suffer from your unwillingness."

_Where has my heart gone?_

An uneven trade for the real world

I want to go back to

Believing in everything

No matter what he decided, others would get hurt. He could hurt people he had never met or hurt people that he loved merely to prevent the deaths of half the world. For almost a second, he was seriously considering the offer, to keep his family and friends safe, then his father's voice had came to him. He was born with a gift, he was to use it for good and not for personal advantage.

" I don't want you to hurt the people I love!" his voice echoed as he hissed out his statement, and it seemed to have been whispered thousands of times before he got the reply from his angry alien father.

****

" I am your father. You will obey me."

"You are not my father, my father is the one who took me in and cared for me. Jonathon, the man you tried to black-mail me with, is my father." Clark stated and a bellowing laugh answered him, and he slapped his hands over his ears, the noise was horrible, drilling a hole into the center of his heart.

****

" I made sure you would when we died…"

" If it was chance that I landed where I was or if it was planned, I don't know. But my family did help you, my family has done so much for me and they owe you nothing in return for raising me, only love and approval from you." Clark shouted, and his eyes closed, as he felt the air rush by him.

He could hear screaming off in the distance of his father, and he smiled serenely, hopefully this would get him out of his desolate land.

_I still remember the sun_

Always warm on my back

Somehow it feels colder now

It was the scent he smelled when he had first came to Earth, and again the same smell was to greet him when he landed from his ordeal. He opened his eyes to find himself lying between the rows of corn, having made himself a little nest of plowed over corn stalks for his bed.

The sun was shining above him, and it looked like a huge orb of fire from his angle. Another reminder of the past, and he struggled to his feet. He felt out of it, and he tried to concentrate on the last thing he remembered, trying to find the empty hole in his body that seemed to be now gaping and oozing.

Pete and Lana, they had both left home yesterday. He had blew it with both of them…they probably hated him, and he never got to say good-bye to Lana.

He fell on the ground, catching himself with the palms of his hands, and he let the waves of dizziness flush their way out of his system. He never got sick and there was no meteor rocks around, so he seemed he had sun poisoning. It was likely, he wasn't sure how long he had been lying in the full sun.

He trudged his way back to the house, not daring to use his super speed, in fear of passing out, until he got to the house to collapse on the couch.

That was what his parents found when they returned home with errands.

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His mind was anywhere but on the things he was typing up. After awhile, he just gave up on it, and just stared at the computer screen blankly. He was aware he had stopped typing but it wasn't bothering him. There had been a picture set up next to the printer, and it had caught his eye. It was new there, and he knew it was probably to do just what it had achieved, getting Lex to stop working and drown in his past sorrows.

It was a picture of his father, with his hair slicked back, and a menacing look within his celadon eyes. He wore the same cocky smirk he had worn the majority of his life, and Lex reached over to bat the picture off the table. It hit the ground with a soft crash, and the glass that made up its frame and cover shattered everywhere.

Lex looked at it warily, and swiveled his chair to face the computer again. He put his hands on the keyboard, but he didn't type. He just focused on his thoughts.

He knew why the picture was there, it was for guilt among his servants who always did like Lionel better then him. He wasn't going to feel that way, his father had it coming…mine as well, have better Lionel then himself. It was his father's fault, he had gotten sloppy. He kept reminding of himself of that but it didn't help.

It wasn't that he felt guilt, it was more along the lines of he felt he had committed a sin. Luthor's had always stuck together, and thus they had survived. He had broken that cardinal rule, though it was in the fine print, they stuck together only when they couldn't get the other person down and dead.

His father had protected him many times against the media, and made sure he didn't go to jail the few times he was capable of. He thanked his father for that mentally, though he knew it was because there was no heir besides him to take over when Lionel died. His father had no love for him, he blamed the death of the baby on his oldest son and made his son a homicidal schizophrenic psycho. It was his father that had killed his mother in the end. He wished he could say he had his father's love, but it was all about the money in the end. It always was…

A door slammed shut and Lex's head bolted away from the computer screen to look at the visitor.

_ Where has my heart gone?_

Trapped in the eyes of a stranger

Hazel eyes looked at him innocently, the full smile of the lips, made Lex feel relieved as Clark went to sit down on one of the couches in Lex's office. They seemed to radiate happiness at just seeing his face; it would scare him if anyone else but Clark wore that expression. He could feel the tugging at the corners of his mouth, as he sat down, and he gave in, smiling at the farm boy.

"Any reason for your sudden visit?"

Clark shrugged, and Lex couldn't help but laugh. Only Clark would come over for no apparent reason, and would think of one halfway into the conversation.

"Were you missing Lana?"

Clark shook his head no to that question and grabbed a pillow from the end of the sofa, cuddling next to it. Lex looked at him, worried.

"What's wrong?" was the next question and Clark lowered his eyes, giving away that there was something bothering the teen.

"Lex, have you ever wondered if it is better to just stop being friends with people when all you know is that you are going to hurt them in the end, " Clark blurted out, after an interval of silence.

"No, everyone hurts each other in the end, that's human nature. We need other people as much as we need water or food."

"Is it intentional that we hurt people or could it just be an accident?"

"Everything we do that we believe in that can hurt someone is intentional. We can claim it isn't to hurt them, but never less we did it to save yourselves. Do you do that, Clark?"

Clark suddenly looked up, and his eyes were scattered, looking like a deer in the headlights, scared to move and too scared to just stay still. Lex had trapped him in the bait.

Suddenly Clark's expression turned to a lazy smile. " What bout' you?"

"Too many people have hurt me to trust them…thus I will keep hurting them as long as I don't get hurt as well…"

"I've been lucky, I never been hurt by anyone." Clark smiled and Lex returned it, both of them were aware of each other's lies, and their eyes secretly danced at the game they had played for the past three years.

Silence was abundant as they just sat there, neither feeling a need to talk and say meaningless words to heal the lack of fillings of space.

"Do you believe in destiny?" Lex's head shot up to look at Clark, who had just spoke. The question had come out of nowhere.

"No."

"Why not?"

Lex chuckled to himself before he answered. " I believe a man makes his own destiny, Clark."

"But what if we are destined to do something?"

"Unless you decide to do it, it doesn't matter if it is destiny or not."

The smile on Clark's face answered all the questions Lex had for him. He had given the right answer, it made him proud.

"So you are saying your destiny to is to inherit Luthorcorp and become a clone of your father, but unless you want to be that sort of person, you aren't going to become that?"

"Exactly."

"Is it destiny that I am here talking to you about this?"

"Are you flirting with me, Clark?"

"No…" a tinge of pink began to swallow the tan skin on his cheek.

Lex decided to give him a break from his torture, he already had his next line prepared to keep it going but he'd be nice for once. " Is it destiny that you are talking with me? Yes…the day I drove the car into the railing, I was destined to die. Everything said I was going to die. But I didn't…because of you, I defied destiny, and I decided I would do it again with my father."

He gave Clark a few minutes to absorb what he was saying, seeing the wheels in Clark's mind turning. "Is this friendship destined to happen?"

"I wouldn't want it any other way."

Clark gave him the bright radiant smile that Lex swore could make the sun begin to shine in the middle of the darkest night, and he smiled back lazily.

"Destiny is what should happen, it isn't what will happen. Your destiny changes every time you make a choice…"

"…Because the battles of today form the battles of tomorrow." Clark interrupted, using one of the wise sayings he had heard Lex use before.

Lex nodded at him in approval, and Clark beamed again. It was only in Lex's mansion did he feel like a normal person who felt fear. It was the allure of the blue eyes, he had concluded, they scruntized everything he did. It made him feel like an equal.

"Remember Cassandra, that lady at the nursing home?" Lex waited for Clark to nod in remembrance, and he continued. " She died when she read my fortune. She never had a chance to tell me it, but I saw it. I was sitting in the White House, I was president of the United States. I went outside into a field of sunflowers, and I sniffed one of them. As I touched them, they all began to die, and then the blood fell from the sky and it rained on me. Everything….around me…had died because…of me."

He hadn't realized that Clark had moved, and he felt the rough hand lightly stroking his hairless head. Normally he hated people touching it, but with Clark, it felt almost natural, and he sighed, relaxing in the gentle touch.

"It doesn't mean that will happen…" he opened his eyes to see Clark smiling at him, his childish innocence and naïve almost convincing him it was true.

"You saw her first, what did you see?"

Clark couldn't tell him the truth that they weren't supposed to see the visions. A spear of fear had traveled through his lungs when he had heard that Lex has seen the vision as well. That wasn't meant to happen, it had only been an accident with him, but Lex too? He didn't want to lie to Lex, but he didn't want to get caught either.

Lex was giving him a look of complete trust, his metallic eyes seeming to dare him to lie. Clark always knew that Lex knew that he was lying, but he accepted it because he trusted him. He wanted to trust the billionaire but he couldn't hurt anyone else because of his secret.

"There were graves surrounding me, and I was in the center of them in a thunderstorm. I looked at every name and they were people that I loved. They had all died, the only name that hadn't been engraved yet was yours, Lex." He decided to tell the truth and Lex's eyes thanked him silently.

"So is that our future, Clark? To out-live all other things in the world that we love?" Lex puzzled out-loud and Clark closed his eyes. He would do that, and now that he thought about it, why hadn't Lex been dead in the vision?

"I guess so…"

Lex let out a girlish giggle, as he stood up, getting himself a cup of scotch from his private bar in the corner of his office. He filled a glass with water and ice for Clark, and sat down next to the taller man. He handed the water to Clark, and held out his glass of scotch.

"Here's to being alone!" he roared, smiling and they clinked glasses. Clark could see his pain reflected in Lex's eyes, and reflected back again. They both took a sip, and set their glasses down on the coffee table.

"So how is your father holding up?" Clark asked, and a groan was his response as Lex looked off into the distance, away from him.

"Being himself. Tomorrow I have to move his files out of his headquarters, so I can begin running the business."

"Do you need any help moving them?"

Lex shook his head and thanked him under his breath. He leaned his head back against the top of the sofa, and sighed.

"This is going to kill you, you know that." Clark commented, looking at the distressed features of his friend. He looked as if he had been burdened with all the worlds' problem.

"Business doesn't care who it kills."

"It should!"

Lex snorted at the conviction in Clark's comment, and it took him several minutes to stop laughing long enough to rebut Clark's statement.

"When you become the leader of the world, and make them possible, let me know."

"Okay, I'll go do that." Clark smiled and looked down on his watch. It was dawning on seven, and he swore.

Lex looked up at his friend, and Clark smiled at him. " Parents need me home now. Call me if you need any help with the moving."

Lex nodded as Clark scooted out of the room, sliding on his shoes as he trampled down the stairs. It was an amazing feat that he hadn't just fell down the stairs.

_Oh I, I, want to go back to_

Believing in everything and knowing nothing at all

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Lex grunted as he began to move the next round of boxes from the front stoop of the LuthorCorp Headquarters building to the moving van that he had hired for just today. He had three or four heavy boxes, and he could just barely see above them as he threw them into the back of the truck.

He gasped for air, and took a look at his handy work. Every square ounce of the moving van was filled with boxes and boxes of files that would need sorting into his section of LuthorCorp. He was glad his father was very tedious and had everything filed perfectly. It would take less time for him to sort them all out.

He pulled the door down and latched it, giving the driver the thumbs up to tell him to get going back to Smallville. He took a breath and he began his way back to the looming building. All he had to do is look around and make sure everything was cleared out, and then he could leave.

Knowing his father, he would hide things on the higher floors because fewer people went in them. Lionel had an obsession for heights, he always wanted to be dangling in the sky. Lex was reminded of how his father had told him that the ultimate goal of a conqueror was to be able to fly among the clouds, and know you were above them all.

He took the elevator to the highest floor that it allowed, and shuffled among the hallway, hands in his pocket. He was paranoid that his father would jump out at him anytime to laugh at him, and he kept an eye out though he knew his father was very safe in maximum-security prison.

There was nothing in the hallway and Lex felt along the wall to see if there was some switch to open the doors. It was twisted and very like his father.

His hand connected with a hard ball, bruising his knuckle and he twisted it, backing up to see what happened.

It turned out to be a section of the wall on the other side spun around to revel a brass door with a lion on the knob, teeth bared. How appropriate…

The office was dark and damp, with papers scattered everywhere, and lead boxes lining the walls, thrown in a chaotic jumble, with a safe cuddled in the corner. It looked to be fire-resistant, and Lex could see it was took five combinations to open it, so basically there was almost a one in million chance it could be opened.

He first took a look at the lead boxes, and the green glow that was suddenly emitted, frightened him and excited him.

__

Clark dangling from the cross, a green stone around his neck, withering

Lex pulling him off the cross, and took the necklace off him

Clark was back at full strength suddenly…

It was the same rock that seemed to bother Clark so many countless times, and he hissed in annoyance. The nagging in his mind was forming again, he knew something about it but he couldn't remember it. He couldn't remember how he knew it or what it was, but he knew he had once known it.

He went to look at the papers scattered around the office, and gathered them into a pile. They were lab tests on the green minerals, files on the Kent Farm, a huge stack of stuff on Clark, all the accidents going on in Smallville, and other various things that involved Clark in some way.

Lex felt sick to his stomach as he realized this area was created to be a shrine to the mystery of Clark Kent and he began to pack it up into piles. He picked up the safe, sliding it onto the desk. He was amazed at how little it weighed, and he sat down in the chair that had been in the office.

_Where has my heart gone?_

An uneven trade for the real world

This was the data he was looking for on Clark Kent, and how he had survived that day the car hit him. He didn't want to pry into Clark's life, but it was driving into him, the power he held in his hands. He wanted to know everything about his enigma.

What he would do would hurt Clark. But he came first in life before Clark…Clark would never have to know about this. He could feel it…the suppressed memories he had forgotten. They had to do with Clark Kent…he was sure of that.

_Oh I, I want to go back to_

Believing in everything

He wanted to just pretend Clark was a normal boy, but they both he wasn't. He didn't want to lose his best friend, the only person who meant anything to him. But he was so close to the truth.

Lionel wouldn't have an entire office devoted to a boy if he weren't special…His father wouldn't be curious in anything that wouldn't benefit him in some way.

"Is this destiny, Clark? Is it my destiny to know the truth about how we meet? Is it my destiny not to know? Is it our destiny to be friends? Or will destiny supposed to hurt us?" he whispered as he began to drag the stuff into the elevator to load into his own car.

"Forgive me, Clark, for I have sinned."  
---------------------------------------------------

"Are you still lying around in the dumps over Lana?" a female voice spoke, awaking Clark from his peaceful nap on the bale of hay.

"Nope, just sleeping. I didn't sleep too well last night, " he yawned lazily, turning over on his stomach to look at Chloe who was staring at him in mild amusement.

"Because of Lana leaving?"

"No…not everything involves Lana in the world."

"Is that a tone of bitterness I hear in your voice?" she smirked at him, and he had to resist the urge to growl. She was way reading into his moods…he didn't sleep because he had a dream about Jor'el. It also didn't help that Lex's conversation with him about destiny made him think the entire night that wasn't occupied by an angry alien parent.

"She didn't want to leave, Clark. You know that as well as I do."

"Then why'd she leave then?" Clark couldn't hide the anger in his voice. He didn't want to talk about Lana.

"Because you couldn't tell her the truth."

"Ignorance is bliss…" was his answer, before rolling over on the hay and curling up to go back to sleep. Chloe was annoying him and he wanted her to get away from him.

"Stop throwing yourself a pity party and do something about, before you screw up again!" was her last words to him as she finally got annoyed enough to storm away. All he could give off was bitter laughter.

_Where has my heart gone?_

Lost in the eyes of a stranger

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The door swung closed with a large noise, and Lex took his seat at the table, across from the smirking man.

"So nice of you to finally see me, Alexander…"

_Oh I, I want to go back to_

Believing in everything

And knowing nothing at all


	2. I must be Dreaming

There are several universal truths; no matter how many times one would run from them, they would appear, for they were the truth. There are truths perceived by a person, truths that were true, but none of them applied to everything that lived or died on the Earth.

Lex Luthor was no stranger to them. He had designed them, giving an official name to them when he was thirteen. Unfortunately he had still been naïve and it was his father who had taken the credit for them. He had published them in his biography and was considered one of the great philosophers of his time. No one knew he hadn't created them.

There had been eight rules and the first one was the one that applied today, as he stood in front of his father's jail cell,

Humans are ultimately evil. They can deny that they are not, but they are the only species in the world that would purposely wreck another one of their species life for no survival reasons. 

His father was lying on the cot in the corner of the room, the blanket to keep him warmed thrown at his feet as he shivered. He appeared to be sleeping but his eyes were wide open, staring up at the ceiling. Their usual glimmer of ice upon the brown surface seemed to be melting. He was a man defeated.

It made Lex feel superior for once in his life, but he didn't feel happy. He felt disgusted at the sight that awaited his eyes. His father deserved this, and his father wasn't the man to give into his fate. That had broke rule number seven in the universal truths.

Once a man succumbs to his fate, then will he fall. To succeed, you must never accept where you are, and go for the heavens in your goals. Your destiny is your own to control, no one can ever tell you who you are. Only you do that… 

"Get up, Father…" he ordered, feeling no need for witty banter. His father finally looked up at him which was the first time after the first words he had said to his son, then ignored him for the next hour as Lex went out to do some work around the prison without telling his father what his devious plans were.

He waited until his father reached the bars of the jail and he raised his hand to put it against his father's on the wiring before he spoke.

"You didn't want to die in jail. We both know that is true but you just hate being confined. I will make you an offer, will you hear me out?" Lex couldn't help feeling like he was making a deal with the devil but he had no choice. He was going on instincts to get him what he craved to know.

"Talk, " the smile had reached his father's eyes, and he looked alive again. It was sad in a sense that he was only happy when he was making a business deal, thinking of ways to dupe people out what he wanted.

"You have three weeks to live, the doctors estimate when I went over your files. Your trial would have yet to begin at that point. So here is the deal, I will take the money out of your private funds to pay your bail then I will send you to live in Cancun for as long as you continue living. All your private funds will be at your disposal but none of the money raised by Luthor Corp, or my private funds. You will not interfere with my life, and you shall die a fulfilled man, hopefully."

"What's the price, then?"

"Clark Kent, I want you to tell me his secret."

"He's an alien."  
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He watched the sun fall out of the sky, streaking the clouds with blood, and then it dried to turn into dark scabs. A daily routine it was for him to stare out into the sky and wonder where his birth parents were, even though his perception of them had changed over the years.

Stairs were vibrating, someone was walking up them. He could feel the pulsing even before their foot touched the wood and made a noise. His powers were getting stronger every day, he found it harder and harder to know what was a normal person's ability to do something.

"Son, you okay up there?" his father said calmly as he walked up. He had gotten used to the abilities pretty well, he just assumed Clark knew he was coming, which was almost always the case except for the time he walked in with him and Alicia making out. That hadn't been fun to explain.

"Yeah, just thinking…" his father sat down beside him on the couch and Clark spun around to face his father, leaning against the windowsill.

His father was waiting to hear it was about, his father had fallen into the pattern of having a super being as a son and though Clark was not psychic nor was his father, they had a basic understanding of what each other would say.

"Why did you trust Lionel that day? You hate him but you allowed him to get me adopted from you guys. I just been wondering how it happened that way, and why hasn't Lionel spilled his mouth about that?" Clark watched his father's expression change from hatred to just weariness, then to fall into a friendly smirk.

"I don't know why I trusted him that day. Even then, I didn't like him but it felt right. He had the power to do something for me…and for once, I decided to take it instead of struggling."

"Why does he never mention it? Couldn't he use it to help find out my secret?"

"Your mother is the only reason he has yet to tell. They went to school together, and she was one of the only students who was kind to him for no other reason then just for kindness sake. I think that in a way, it was a thank you to her. Plus he knew she always wanted a son, but couldn't conceive."

"Why do you hate Lionel?"

"Hate is a strong word."

"But you do…you certainly don't like him."

"I don't like the things he does, it doesn't mean that I don't have respect for the man."

Clark sighed, seeing that he wasn't going to win the argument, and began to walk down the stairs, his father quickly following him, in a silent procession brought on by their stomach's for the kitchen where diner await, wafting delicious smells over to the barn.

He had started upon his second serving of mashed potatoes, when he heard a noise way off far into the distance. He had began to hear them a few days ago, and he would run around, trying to find them. He soon realized he could hear in the silence, about in a two mile radius, the noises that organisms made.

The noise was reminiscent of a scream, and he stood up, pushing in his chair, and walked for the front door. His parents didn't ask him where he was going, they knew he could hear things they couldn't, and just assumed he was off to save someone, and it wasn't important enough to question him on it when someone could be dying while they were chatting.

He turned up the full speed, arriving within the edge of the two-mile radius within seconds. Again, his speed was improving, he could go as fast as sound in the beginning, and he was beginning to go at the speed of light now.

The scream was louder and he went to the sound of it, closing his eyes as he sped through the rows of wheat, watching the fast moving shapes blur around him as he saw the little girl, slowly going under in the stream, as she screamed for dear life, as the current began to wash her further and further away from the bridge Clark was standing on.

If Clark was paying more attention, he would have noted it was the same bridge on in which he had met Lex upon, but he was too busy diving twenty feet off the bridge into the water, to try and catch the girl floating away from him.

He was unaware of the telescope which was set up, watching his every move, as he grabbed the girl who was bleeding, a bicycle tangled around her limbs, blood constantly being wiped off by the water to only reappear again. He tore the bicycle into several pieces and threw them upon the bank as he pulled her out, laying her on the gravel.

Lex watched him from the distance, through the eye of the telescope, as he looked around carefully, before applying his hands against her bleeding wounds. Within seconds, they began to seal up and she began to breathe again, her pale features once turning rosy. Her eyes began to open and Clark held up to his chest, to reassure her that she was okay.

Lex was in shock and gaping, partly at the sight of this cute little girl who had died, just like him to be only reborn by the likes of Clark Kent, and he gasped, a little too loudly because Clark looked right at him. Lex hoped Clark didn't see him as he lay perfectly still against the flat rock he was perched behind, and when Clark had returned his gaze to the girl, Lex scattered off, still in shock.

_How can I pretend that I don't see?_

What you hide so carelessly

I saw her bleed

You heard me breathe

And I froze inside myself and turned away

I must be dreaming

His entire life had been created of lies, on other lies, which covered the pile of lies that made up the surface of his life. It was hard to say if the things he did say now were even true if they were true, because some many lies could be then tied down to his true statement.

It was like his car, his silver Porsche. He sat in it, staring up the ceiling's lights that filtered in through the huge cut in the windshield where his body had been pulled out of. The front of the car had a dent of a body within it, but never any blood on it though it should have caused more then bruises. Even the speedometer read a solid hundred, with strikes of water under the surface of it from the water infiltrating his pretty car.

This car was all lies, it contained all the truths of his life, and just now revealed to be false what he had honestly knew deep down. Clark Kent had been hit, Clark Kent had ripped open the front of the car, and Clark Kent was lying to him.

_We all live, we all die_

_That doesn't begin to justify you_

Lex had known it from the moment he had waken up, and saw the blue sky above him, that this wasn't have supposed to happen. When he had died, he had been flying over Smallville. He had wings in his vision, and he was free of his father's occupation. He was free with his life, and it was the happiest moment of his life. Then he had fell to earth, as his eyes had opened to find emerald eyes looking at his with pure concern.

He should have died, but Clark had saved him. He had seen it the first time he got lost in the labyrinth of Clark's eyes, that this boy was unconfined by destiny. Within the depths, he saw an image of himself, and it made him feel like he could be something in his life.

He had always been getting in trouble since he turned bald. It was like the fates had cursed him, and so internally had strived to kill himself and give up on the future. It held nothing for him but pain. But when the wings had taken flight as he had died, he felt more alive. He would go on and point the sword at destiny and tell it that it wasn't his master anymore. He would do it…Life was too short for him not to live his dreams.

_It's not what it seems_

Not what you think

The world offered no protection for the bold, and he had found his protection in the young farm boy. He looked at life in a way a child would, so naïve and trusting. But that wasn't true, he was nothing like a child. He was a man who could be so trusting because he had everything to lose, and nothing to gain by pretending.

He had just thought Clark was a product of being in the right place, at the right time, with all his miracles of saving people, but now, he saw it was no common incident. He hadn't been joking when he had mentioned Clark had a Messiah complex. Clark wanted to save the world…

He wondered why Clark could like someone like him, someone who was so cruel and so hated. But now he knew…Clark saw himself in him, and that was why they bound their lives together. Both held power…and power was always drawn to another. They were the opposites, the polar ends of a magnet.

And magnets, nothing could fight the attractions between them…they would always be drawn to each other, no where in the world where they would not try to get to each other.

_No, I must be dreaming_

It's only in my mind

Not real life

No, I must be dreaming

He didn't want to acknowledge the truth, that Clark wasn't normal. Because now he had to question everything…and so did Clark. Why were they linked together when they were so much alike? They should repeal each other…not gravitate towards one another.

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"Lex! It's so good to hear your voice…" said the grunted voice of his father.

"Are you enjoying your time down there?"

"I'm a big fan of the ladies here."

"You been handing out a lot of money, I bet."

"It never hurts to spend it on worthwhile things."

"I can just picture it now. Lionel Luthor's love child, his secret affair with a whore."

"So I guess you will just have to pay them to shut it up, then."

Lex grunted in response to that, and Lionel laughed. He sounded content, relaxed in a sense.

"Have you discovered all the mysteries of Clark Kent?"

"Much more then I needed to know."

"What are you going to do about him?"

"I don't know…"

"Not knowing will get you killed."

"I don't need to be reminded of that."

"You hold the power in your hand to do something beautiful, don't let it go to waste."

"I wouldn't…but I don't want to hurt him either."

"Ah…the ever emotional sentiment. It doesn't fit you, Lex."

"I'm not you."

"So I have been told."

_Help, I know I've got to tell someone_

Tell them hat I know you've done

I fear you, but spoken fears can come true

Lex hung up the phone, without saying a good-bye, as his thoughts whirled around his head on a merry-go-round, getting wilder then slowing to pick up again. He groaned, grabbing the bottle of aspirin and pouring a few into his mouth. He swallowed them raw and leaned back in his chair, thinking about his options.

He was ever the businessman, and he had already formed a partial list of pros and cons. He was attempting to be impartial, and take his father's advice on not considering emotions. No, he was going to think of emotions after he found which one was ruling at the current time when he finished his list.

"To be or not to be, that is the question…" he whispered under his breath as he took a sip of his scotch, pondering.

He had gained much information on his best friend, so much in fact that he could fill an entire three shelf filing cabinet with the material and not have any space left and access material. He had found out whom he had saved, and all the weird things that went on to led up to them. It gave him a list of powers he knew Clark had, and he knew which words he had been told were lies or partial truths.

Clark was able to do the things he did because he wasn't known. He was able to save random people at random times because no one questioned it, because they were just relieved that they were okay. He used his aura to keep people off his trial, his aura of innocence and charm.

He had the power to see through people, all his senses were heightened like eyesight and hearing, he could run faster then the speed of light and stop time literally with the speed involved in it, he was super strong, and his blood could heal people. Lex wasn't his father, he knew the blood that made up the reviving potion on the dead had to be Clark's blood. He had seen Clark heal the girl, he must have healing powers within himself to keep from getting hurt. It would be in his blood cells that contained his DNA, which gave him that ability.

Lex saw the opposite side though as well. Clark could kill anyone in the world if he wanted, if he went back onto the red kryptonite. After all, he did that for awhile in the hometown of the Luthor. It didn't go unnoticed by Lex, who was very observant when it came to Clark. If he confronted Clark about it, he could get killed and if he told, he'd get killed too. Clark would do anything to not be a circus spectacle.

It was a great business opportunity though for him, as a CEO of one of the biggest empires in the world, and it would only increase ten-fold if he exposed Clark. He could black-mail Clark to get his blood then develop a cancer drug to save a lot of people or use it to get evidence against a criminal from its dead victim. For the right price, human beings could be immortal. He could have the Fountain of Youth in his very hands.

He could be a tool to take over countries, and his DNA could be cloned to produce mini-him everywhere, to fight for Lex Luthor. There were so many uses for him, and in the end, Lex knew that the bad and good were equally balanced. It came down to what were more important, money and fortune or friendship and love.

Because Lex loved Clark very much…

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_We all live, we all die_

But that doesn't even begin to justify you

The Tour D'Eiffel, that was what the French called the Eiffel Tower. It was a lot more impressive when one stood at the base of it and looked up at it, in the middle of the night. It was still impressive when one flew over it, whipping around the angles of it on their way soaring through the sky.

To why Clark had came to see the Eiffel Tower, it wasn't why he had came to Paris. It was a certain Lana Lang who was bordering on his mind for the past few days and he felt a need to see her and tell her good-bye. He still felt bad about what had taken place at the airport, and he wanted to make it up to her.

It also helped that he had mastered flying, and he didn't have to pay to use his superpowers of speed and flying. It took him about two hours flying leisurely with short breaks, to get him there.

To say he was tired was an understatement but the lights of Paris, they revived him. They held so much power and beauty and he could understand why people loved to visit the city of the lights. Lana was included in that group of people, and he went through the map he had seen when she was trying to figure out where her host family was located in Paris.

It also came in handy that he had a good memory, and he flew past the landmarks, flying up the apartment she had rented, at the top of the 5th Street complex.

He landed lightly on the windowsill, and peered through, not wanting to catch Lana off guard. He would call her tomorrow and ask to see her. Tonight, he would just be satisfied to see her face.

But when he peered through the window, it wasn't Lana's face he saw first, it was the finely sculpted face of Lex, drinking a cup of coffee, laughing and chatting with Lana who was sitting next to him.

_It's not what it seems_

He watched as Lana slapped him playfully, and Lex smirked, swiping his coffee back from her grasp. He went to stand up, and Lana's back was to him. All he could see was how close they were to each other, and he couldn't see their lips to know what they were saying.

Between all the noise of Paris and the steel walls, he was able to make up what she was saying.

"Lex, you don't have to hide this anymore. I love you…and…"

He didn't hear Lex's response for she had kissed him, and Clark watched Lex's eyes close quickly, kissing her back, then seconds later, reopening to stare right back at Clark's. Clark didn't even hide his glance, and Lex pushed Lana away and walked out before she could even wipe her lips against her sleeve or say a single word of protest.

_Not what you think_

"Hello, Clark…" Lex had emerged onto the top floor to embrace Clark glaring at him.

"Why were you kissing Lana?" Clark shot back.

_No, I must be dreaming_

"I wasn't…it seems she has a crush on me. She kissed me…I just rejected her."

"Why are you here?"

"Another accusation for the master!" Lex chuckled. " I promised I'd visit Lana and I had to get some measurements done, so my new tailor can make me a custom made outfit. So what are you doing here, Clark?"

His face was enough to answer Lex's question. It was blank, his mouth gaping open, having no clue what to say.

"You wanted to apologize to Lana and so you flew over here."

"Yeah, I wanted to say I was sorry…" Clark didn't realize the implication of what he said, until he felt Lex's hand pressing hard into his chest, pressing him against a wall.

"I know who you are, Clark. I know that you aren't human. I know everything…" he hissed, and Clark looked at him with wide eyes. Lex was avoiding them at all costs, he might lose his cool if he looked at them.

_It's only in my mind_

Not real life

No, I must be dreaming

"What are you talking about, Lex?"

"Don't pretend you don't know, Clark! You should have told me, you should have trusted me! I'm your friend, why did you feel like you couldn't tell me, when I tell you everything. I helped you! Why couldn't you just tell me the truth…why did you have to lie to me?"

Lex's voice was trembling as he finished, tears streaming down his face, and he felt Clark's hands wrap around his wrists that were wrapped around his own throat and pushed, and Lex went flying, skidding onto the gravel on the top of the roof.

Lex looked up at Clark who was scowling at him, and he stood up, brushing the pieces of rock off his shirt.

"I would have told you if I knew you won't betray me…" Clark spit out.

"I wouldn't ever betray you."

"Then why are you here with Lana? You know I love her, but no…Lex has to take whatever he wants!"

Clark sounded so mad and Lex looked at him, trying to draw Clark's eyes to look back at his, capturing the emotion he couldn't express in words.

"She doesn't love you, Clark! You know that, as do I! I am sick of you going after her and she breaking your heart!"

"You just want her for yourself!"

The rain was beginning to pour down, and Clark's hair was getting dragged into his eyes. He looked deadly in the rain, and Lex shivered involuntary.

"I don't want her, I want you, Clark!" Lex yelled, walking closer to Clark and the body heat he seemed to radiate. They were only three feet apart now, and he looked up at Clark.

"You just want me so you can make money, I know how you are…" he spit out.

"I wanted to know those things about you…I couldn't let go of not knowing the truth." Lex was getting frustrated, seeing that Clark wasn't understanding him, or just not even trying.

_We all live, we all die_

That doesn't even begin to justify you

"You couldn't give up, could you, Lex?" Clark hissed, and Lex stepped closer to him. Their bodies were overlapping and Lex balked in the warmth, wrapping his hands in Clark's hair, threading it between his fingers.

"I can not never give up on the things I love…" Lex whispered, kissing Clark lightly. His lips were so cold, and he pulled away before Clark could react to him or try to hit him. He backed up slowly, trying to get away from Clark's anger.

"You don't understand what the word love means…"

"What does it mean then, Clark?"

"You don't question other people…you don't take advantage of them!"

"I always thought love was just caring that the other person was happy. That's all I have ever tried to do for you."

"Well, I guess you wouldn't understand that, being your father's son and all."

Lex snarled at Clark, and if Clark weren't standing the way he was, his clothes tight to his hard body, Lex would have tried to kill him.

"I am not my father."

"Someday you will be."

"And will you become like your father. You real father, I mean…"

It was now Clark's turn to glare at him, and Lex smirked.

_It's not what it seems_

Not what you think

I must be dreaming

Just in my mind

Not real life

I must be dreaming


	3. Forever Gone, Forever You

No matter how loud he screamed, it didn't make his pain and anguish any less, he had came to realize, as he felt the sticky substance leak out of his body, and run down his pale skin, staining it.

The air now held a different scent, the metallic odor of blood oozing out of freshly carved wounds, mixing with the light scent of laundry detergent, the scent he had associated with Clark Kent. It was the scent he would get off with, the intoxicating smell of clean fresh innocence…words that again described his friend.

But today, though he had clutched the shirt to his nose, and sniffed the essence into his soul, he didn't feel the way he always did, like he was falling into a pit of pure ecstasy.

He felt pain and suffering, he felt razor sharp needles poking through his skin to only reappear on the other side, and he needed to bleed. He needed to cleanse himself from the disease that was ravishing his system, and the best way to bleed it out.

He had taken his fencing sword, and thought of bad thoughts, until they consumed his body. With a simple slit of the sword, and his wails of pain, he had cut his right leg open, and it was now bleeding. The blood was pooling on his silk covers, and he watched it, with a slight smile before he began to cry.

_I wanted you to be with me_

For so long I don't even know by now

He had screwed up telling Clark he knew the truth. He was more leaning towards a gentle talk then a gentle kiss under the moonlight. Unfortunately life had its other plans, and he now had his alien "lover"/best friend hating him, and probably pondering on ways to kill him.

That would be a good thing if that were to happen. At least he would know where they stood. But there was no showing of what Clark was feeling. Nothing at all…no words, no actions…when nothing was happening, that was the time to start fearing the retribution.

_But now that I've given up on you_

Defiantly you see me

A week had past since Paris. They had only saw each other once. It had been in passing, Clark had set his produce order on his front porch. Lex was working out in the garden, and he had looked up to see Clark. Their eyes had met and Clark had sped away, not bothering to not use his super speed.

His eyes had said it all, he was in pain, he had been crying. He wanted to hide it, and wanted to cause pain as well to others and himself. He felt anger, and they lay in a checkmate until someone made a move.

And it would be Lex's…

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Ruby, the color of the most precious stone in the world; it lay so close to him, and he touched it carefully, feeling the slick surface along the padding of his thumb, a perfect contrast between his rough and its smoothness.

He sniffled, as he picked the ring up, and he massaged it around his hand, praying to an unspoken God that he didn't lose complete control this time, and he slipped on the ring, made out of pure red kryptonite.

Power surged through his body, and he felt free. All his worries were draining out of his body, and he felt so light as if he could jump and float in the air for eternity.

And as soon as it began, he hit the ground, and he fell to his knees, his body cowering and trembling.

He opened his eyes to still see the ring on his finger, glowing, still infiltrating his body with its influence, but he didn't feel it anymore. He felt like something had hit him, and he couldn't move.

It wasn't pain, it was worse then that. He felt sick, like bile was in his throat, like he would puke. He wanted to curl up and go to sleep forever just to stop the feelings of ruthless hatred for himself and the feel of his lungs collapsing on his chest, making him long for the cold liquid of the air.

He wasn't alerted to when he finally screamed, until he felt warmth pour into his body, from the cuddling to his mother's chest, as he twitched, sobbing and screaming. She finally was able to get the ring off him, which he then collapsed, feeling his mother wipe the sweat off his brow in a motherly gesture.

"Why isn't it working?" he whispered, as his mother ran her fingernails through his curly locks, comforting him.

"What isn't it, honey?"

"The red kryptonite."

"Drugs can never mask the pain we feel inside, they only worsen it sometimes…" she kissed him on the cheek, and he fell into a regular pattern of breathing, not responding to her comments. He understood what she meant, and she knew what he needed to hear.

"I don't think Lex meant to hurt you."

"He didn't try to but he did."

His mother nodded, and he scooted off her lap, realizing that he was twice her size, and not a little child anymore. Their hands were still interlaced, and she smiled at him, wishing for him to continue.

" I'm scared he's going to tell everyone about me…"

"Do you think he will?"

Clark sighed, not sure how to answer. " Depends…"

"…On what you do next." His mother finished his thought for him, and he smiled at her, for understanding. He climbed to his feet, picking her up and swinging her around, clutching her for dear life. She was laughing and when her feet could once again touch the ground, Clark was gone.

_Walking away I see the pain_

That you put me through

Lost in your game, to change the same

Forever gone, Forever you

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Might midnight be a good hour to call Lex Luthor for he was almost always awake at that time, as he was haunted by the clock at those times. Only those who lived with him knew of his obsession to never go to sleep before midnight because he believed that after midnight, no one would die, for it was a brand new day.

It had been a myth his mother had told him when he was in the hospital, as they tested him to find out why all his hair had fallen out. He hadn't believed her, but the day his mother died, it had been ten p.m. and he been asleep. It seemed everyone he had ever loved had died before the hour of midnight.

That was partly why when Lex heard the phone ring at 11:30, while he was watching old T.V, shows because he couldn't sleep, he knew who it would be on the other line. He just answered it and answered okay, before driving to Smallville hospital, going three times the speeding limit, while making frantic phone calls to various doctors the Luthor family had on hold for things like this.

His father was going to be dying within the next few hours, his liver could not longer filter his blood. Lex's superstition said that he would die before Lex got to the hospital, and so he had to be there before midnight so his father would live longer.

He also wanted to say his last good-byes to his father's face instead of saying them to the vacant air around his grave that would be restructured within three days. It wasn't by chance that it was three days, Lionel had a superiority complex and decided to follow in the bible's definition of Jesus rising from the dead on the third day.

It was 11:43 when he had arrived, and he went to the third floor where his father would have some privacy in a private sector of the hospital, fittingly it was founded by the money the Luthor's had given to them as charity and public service attention for the press.

His father had waited for him, and was resting in a drugged induced state, and the doctors told him not to wake up his father who was still sleeping from the helicopter ride from Cancun to Smallville, a several thousands mile journey. He would be awaking soon, and then they shall talk. They promised he wouldn't die before that. Lex was sure of it, he had a vile full of reviving medication just in case he wanted to get answers out of his father. It would be fitting his father would have to suffer the same fate as the rest of the victims he had used it on, to see their loved ones cry again when they died for the second or third time.

The grandfather clock had struck twelve, and Lex could breathe a sigh of relief for his father wasn't dead. He stood up to check up on Lionel, peering through the glass to see the heart monitor beating continuously with its jagged negative tan curves, when he felt a soft hand pressing onto his back, before it hit him, banging his nose against the glass.

Lex spun around to find angry pale blue eyes staring at him, and a hand pressing onto his neck, cutting off his air supply. Lex smiled at the patriarch of the Kent family, and waited for the man's anger to show up and tell him why he did he feel it was necessary to make blood run out of his nose.

"What'd you do to Clark?" he spit out. Lex had to admit that the man was a very scary figure when in his full blown mother bear mode. Too bad the Luthor genes didn't allow him to fear anything of that sort.

"Besides talking to him, nothing…"

"Bullshit!" his head was slammed against the wall again, and Lex winced, feeling the cold air hit his scalp, as the warm blood trickled down the frozen flesh.

"I know his secret, is that what you want to know?" Lex knew it was the wrong thing to say when the grip on his throat tightened, and Lex realized that this time, no air was going to get in his lungs without some serious work.

"You are not going to hurt our son!" His head was rattling around, and it felt like every part of his body was spinning, and bleeding. He felt his neck snap, and for a second, he thought he had broken his neck until he felt the pain going through his system to reassure him he was still very much alive.

_There's something very wrong about this_

I think you knew all along somehow

"I am not going to hurt your son…" Lex choked out, looking into the eyes, trying to express what he couldn't say. He began to cough, and his chest seemed to have so much pressure in it, as he began to wheeze, and convulse.

"Because you love him…" Jonathon gave a harsh laugh, and back-handed Lex, digging his ringed knuckles into his stomach, tarnishing the precious flesh. He was going for a second hit, Lex anticipated when he lost his footing and began curling up into the fetal positron he had came to know as he was going to be dying soon pose.

He couldn't breathe, blood was marring his sight, and the world was spinning into confusion when he felt something slip into his pocket. He would have screamed if he had the air to do it, and he felt plastic touch his lips, and he opened, as the inhaler was operated by an invisible person.

When his breathing came back to normal, he felt a hand grab his shoulder, and lead him to a hard chair, and he felt a light material wipe the blood off his face. He opened his eyes to see Clark staring at him, worried.

_You'll only take me to change my mind_

Lonely, broken, and defeated

"Please forgive my father for hurting you. It will not happen again…" Clark sounded so formal, leaning his head down to hide his eyes from Lex's as he pawed his way towards the other end of the hospital.

"Clark!" he yelled.

Clark turned his head to look at him.

"Thank you!" he smiled at Clark, and Clark returned it warily.

"Will you tell?" Clark asked, as he paused by the corner of the visiting area.

Lex looked up at him, surprised, and Clark continued to speak.

"If you do, I will kill you."

Lex was speechless and Clark left the room.

The time was now 12:12, the time for wishing, for the numbers were the same. Another tradition his mother had gotten him into to.

He wished for Clark's friendship back. He wasn't going to aim high, he wouldn't wish for Clark's love.

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He was at his complete mercy now, the real cause of the anger he felt within. He had cast the sins of a father onto an unwilling son, and now they stood with their eyes locked, with the Kent in the power player position for once in their cat and mouse games.

It was true what they said about the cat and the mouse. Though the mouse might not be the stronger, they could take out the full grown lion with fighting for their life, and this mouse had finally won.

Lionel Luthor was lying in the bed, his eyes glinting in the harsh florescent lights, to watch Jonathon Kent sit down next to him, scowling. The two alpha males were looking at each other with a look akin to predators eyeing each other up as they hovered over their dead prey.

_So far away, I see the truth_

I see through you

"Coming here to tell me how I am a bastard and I deserve to die, or is this an apology meeting?"

"Neither of them…I am just staying here until my son allows me to leave your room…" Jonathon growled.

"I can see why, bloodying my son's nose against the glass wasn't exactly the wisest thing you could do."

"You don't even care about your son so don't pretend you do."

Lionel burst out laughing, then went into coughing, clutching his chest. Jonathon clapped him on the back a few times until the fit stopped, and helped set Luthor back onto the bed.

"Just because it doesn't appear that I love my son, doesn't mean I don't love him. I think you would know that better then anyone. Your son isn't of your blood and yet you love him. It's all the same."

_Now that I see the way you play_

I don't want to

"It isn't the same thing. I would do anything for Clark and he would for me. I would…"

"…Give your life to protect his secrets." Jonathon raised an eyebrow, he wasn't aware that Lionel knew so much. " Don't give me that surprised look, I am not blind. You do your duty as a father and protect them from the world. That's our role in life."

"You don't protect Lex from the world," he observed.

"You can't protect them from the truth. The world is not pretty or glorious, it's pain and suffering. I wanted him to be ready to face that world, and not be disappointed when it wasn't what he expected. I did the best I could do by him, the only way I know how."

"Did you?"

"Yeah, we can only be as great as the past allows us to be. The cycle will end with my death, and Lex as the beginning." Lionel gave him a mystic smile, and Jonathon returned it.

"Lex will never be you, he doesn't want to be like you."

"Did you realize that it was your son who made him that way? The first time Lex had ever smiled was when Clark touched him, the day I got him adopted for you. Are you going to keep denying destiny and forsake their bond?"

The billionaire noted the odd expression that had overcame his counterpart, and their eyes met in understanding.

"You and I are not so different, you have known that. Lex will always be stronger then me, because of Clark. I tried to stomp out all of his emotions, thinking they would be his downfall but they are his strength. He doesn't want to accept his fate of being like me, and that will make him the heir of my empire."

"Clark, from day one, was stronger then me. He could do anything in the world he wanted but he chose to follow my example. I raised him so he could blend in with the real world, I raised him to be a hero, but I forgot that he needed to rebel and become his own man. Lex is a good example for him, though I hate to admit it…" Jonathon hung his head, not wanting to say those last words, but never less they slipped out.

"I'm going to be dying soon, I can feel it. Can you write a letter for me to give to Lex?"

Jonathon nodded, and he picked up the pen and paper, and began to write what Lionel spoke quietly, as he drifted off to his death, peacefully and silent, so unlike the way he had entered the world, loud and announcing his presence for the world to balk in.

_Walking away, I see the pain_

You put me through

Lost in your game, to change the same

Forever gone, forever you

At 12:42, Lionel had died and Lex had slept through it. He awoke to see his dead father being wheeled out of his room, and a letter thrust into his lap. He opened it slowly, still drowsy and still not fully awake.

Dear Alexander M. Luthor;

I will be dying soon. And I wanted to tell you some things before I died, just in case I didn't get to speak to you.

I loved you, I am sorry I never showed it. I am the product of my parents, as are you but you have made your own way instead of following in their footsteps. Although I always made it obvious I was pissed off by it, I was so proud of you. I have never not been proud of you, I couldn't express it, and I'm sorry it had to be in death that I tell you this. I finally have the courage to tell you things.

I am sorry I blamed you for the death of Julian, and what you said was right, things would have been so much better if I had thought about it, and not immediately take it as you did it. Your mother tried to tell me that before she died, but I wasn't ready to hear it. I am ready now to hear it in heaven, though if I go to hell, it wouldn't be too big of a surprise. I'll just take it over and lead a rebellion back to heaven.

I am sorry for treating you the way I did. I know my words will never make up to the pain I must have caused you but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, and try to understand why I did the things I did.

I hope that when you get some children for yourself, though whatever means, you treat them the way you wished I had treated you, and so this cycle may break. I hope you can find the father you are looking for in life in this world, and I know you will make me proud, Lex. You always have…  
- Lionel Luthor -


	4. Solitude

She had spent so much time and effort trying to avoid her problems that when she returned to them, she realized that much of them had never existed. They had resolved themselves and it made her wonder what the place was like she had all of them. Was it that she created them in her mind? Or were they never about her and by removing herself, all the problems were solved?

Smallville looked like it always did when she passed on the plane ride. Long acres of green grass and the waving stalks of grain dancing for the wind, and the huge open sky. She almost was waiting to see a tall man dressed in plaid wandering through them with his wide grin, but she wasn't anywhere near the Kent's Farm.

She had wanted to wait before returning, but life had a different plan for her. Lionel Luthor was dead, and Nell requested her presence to be at home. She wasn't sure why she should show up, not knowing the man at all, but she would go for the sake of Lex though she didn't consider him among her close knit group of friends. She was hoping it would win some brownie points with him, and maybe he'd admit his feelings for her.

She wasn't afraid anymore of facing Clark, she wasn't scared of the future, and the women she wanted to be. No, she was afraid to be rejected again by Lex, since he had done a fine job soaring her into the ground to crash and burn, and hopefully turn into ashes so she never faced him again.

But Lex Luthor wouldn't get rid of her that easily…

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_How many times have you told me you love her?_

As many times as I wanted to tell you the truth

The ice princess walks out of the plane, looking ever beautiful with her long black locks swinging around her perfect features. Those were Chloe's first thoughts as she saw Lana walking towards her at the airport. Her second was about Clark, and she understood why he liked her, for her beauty, but she thought about how fake it was. Her third thought was how the world been a lot nicer to everyone if Clark had just realized he didn't like Lana, fourth thought being shoved away in her mind, that Clark should have gone out with her.

Erasing the thoughts out of her mind, she smiled at the girl, and grabbed a few of the slipping suitcases out of Lana's hand, and they began their journey to the car waiting for them arranged by Nell for them to drop them off at Chloe's summer home where she was staying with her father in Metropolis. __

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The silence could be make the strongest man deaf, and it hung heavily in the air as Chloe and Lana lay on the bunk beds, sleeping. But neither of them was sleeping. They knew the other wasn't sleeping either, but yet they wouldn't fill the silence between the crickets chirping on occasion and the sound of the grandfather clock in the hallway booming out the hour.

Chloe was thinking about what she was going to do tomorrow. She had been asked to cover the story tomorrow for the "Daily Planet" and she couldn't pass up the offer, it could be her big break, but she felt grimy, covering the funeral of a family friend's father, and a death she had helped orchestrate in a sense.

Lana was nibbling at the corner of her fingernails, where the skin was connected for the nail. It drove Chloe insane, knowing it to be a personal habit out of an abundance of nervous energy, and finally she spoke up, on a topic that was taboo in their friendship.

_How long have I stood here be side you_

I lived through you, you looked through me

"Do you love Clark, Lana?"

"Why do you ask?" Lana's voice was immediately suspicious.

"Just curious…"

"Yes, I guess I do."

"Then why do you hurt him?"

"How do I hurt Clark?"

****

Anger

"I think you know how."

****

Suspicion

"Is this about how you secretly are still in love with him?"

****

Defense

"He's my friend…"

****

Validation

"He's mine as well."

"What is it about him, Lana, that you can't love? He loves you so much and all you do is break his heart."

"He can't tell me the truth."

"Sometimes the truth is better not being known."

"He can't come up with any decent lies."

"He doesn't want to lie."

"And I can't be with someone who is a pathological liar."

"He has his reasons."

Lana poked her head over the side of the bed, and Chloe was surprised to see she wasn't crying or even angry. She looked almost serene, with her bronze eyes gleaming sharply in the moonlight.

"Do you know them, Chloe?"

"I don't need to know why he lies. I trust him, he'll tell us everything when it's time for us to know."

"Can't that be the same with me?"

"Maybe, is it?"

Lana didn't answer the question, just rolled over, and must have gone to sleep, for Chloe didn't hear a peep from her the rest of the night.

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"When my father dies, kings will come to his funeral. When your father dies, friends shall come to honor his life."

He had used that quote before when talking to Clark a few years ago. He had no clue how accurate it would be when his father died.   
He looked over the yard that would hold his father's funeral, the public park of Metropolis, an imitation of Central Park in NYC, from his bird's eye view from his seat on the bench of the viewing deck. All his former competitors had shown up to honor his father, and to extend their hand to Lex in an attempt to buy the company when the ownership turned over to him. They hadn't seen him in years, they still thought of his as the reckless stoner he had been in his teenage years. They didn't know he had owned the business for the greater part of a month now, and he had already bought out their business, it would take only a few more days before they would discover it.

The president of the United States was there, with his hoard of lanky and chunky bodyguards, with his cabinet. Other country leaders were there, he recognized them by face, but not by name. It wasn't his concern to worry about people a lifetime away, he was more concentrated on remembering all the names of his exclusive plant in Smallville, and the head honchos he was going to fire next week, and the ones who could be loyal and stay.

Plenty of women had come, majority of them were his mistresses over the years, and the whole population of Metropolis seemed to have showed up, wandering in and out of the gates. They were all talking, socializing, and photographers were everywhere, media everywhere, documenting the life of this event, unaware that it should be a sober occasion of death, not a social event to make people happy.

_Solitude_

Still with me is only you

When he was little, he would hide out in the closet of the homes he visited when his father would go to parties. He didn't want to make ideal chatter with people he would never meet again and hear about their petty problems. They didn't care about him in the least…they are all fake friends.

He hadn't changed much, he was still hiding out in a place where no one would bother him, and Lex straightened his tie, laying his cheek against the cold frosted glass.

It immediately flushed, and he could see his reflection in the glass. He looked pale, his bald scalp gleaming in the light, his blue eyes hard and sharpened. He looked professional and only in close quarters could one see the redness stretching along the coloring of his eyes, and around the two nostrils of his nose.

The clock ticked and he stood up, walking down the stairs calmly, a perfectly composed soldier. It was time to face the world.

Cameras blazed their unholy light into him, and the rattling of buttons being pushed, and moments suspended in time being created, he kept his march. So much chaos and people trying to talk to him about how he felt, and he just wanted for all the noise and light to just leave so he could go in peace. He didn't want this private moment of eminent sadness to be shared with anyone but the people who loved him.

Was this how his father felt? Did he long to have silence? Could greatness only be succeeded through death?

In the end, the only person who would ever know how he was feeling, was his father. Lionel, his father, who hated him…who, could have loved him, if only life had not been so cruel. If destiny had been rededicated…

And Lionel was dead…this destiny had ended, and he was alone to face it now.

He sat down in the chair, the front seat on the side closest to the aisle. He wanted to be able to escape if the need may be, and he tried not to notice the ever obvious looks Victoria was giving him to sit down next to her, to hold him in his "time of need."

No one sat in that row and so alone he would remain, as the sermon began.

The funeral was open casket, and his father was dressed in his suit. He was probably smirking at the lameness of all the praises that were heaped upon him by random people he had never met in his life. Today was about to be about forgiveness, but Lex wasn't ready to forgive. He was still in the anger phase, and the funeral made him so mad. Because not even in death, would anyone say anything that offend the ghost of Lionel Luthor…

He was about ready to leave within the first half-hour, when he saw the tall shadow move past him, and take its place behind the mike. His eyes cast upon the pale green of his best friend, and Clark began to speak.

"I didn't know Lionel as the rest of you have. I only knew him as a man who would stop at nothing to destroy everything to achieve his dreams. I knew him as a man who believed kindness was not a virtue that got you far in life, but always seem to give you a lift when nothing else was working out. He was a man who would forsake the truth to live in his false realities. He was a man who forgot the meaning of living until the last breathing moment as he slipped back into living his life to only continue it somewhere else from here.

I didn't know him as a nice man or a nice husband or father. I didn't know him any other way but all the negative things humans can do in the world to each other, but he was a man who did it with class. He was a man who believed he was doing the right thing…and that is the man I wish for the world to remember. Thank you…"

Clark bowed his head, and walked off the stage, his eyes lightly thrown into Lex's who was staring at him, wide-eyed, mouth wide open in shock and amazement. He passed along the row, and ever so softly, slipped his hand into Lex's to smile and then walk back to his spot.

Time stood in place for a second, and Lex realized he had to get out of there. His lungs seemed to be heaving into each other, and he knew it was nothing like an attack. No, something had been building in him for a long time, and the beast wanted to get out, clawing at his insides, and he bolted, slipping behind the crowds of people around the edge of the chairs to avoid the cameras.

He had cleared half of the park, before he felt his limbs giving way, and he collapsed next to the pink rubber kid slide hooked for the jungle gym, and he leaned against the bolts in it, clutching his arms to his chest.

His whole body seemed to be screaming in pain and he bit the corner of his mouth to keep from screaming, letting the iron taste come to his mouth as he bled. Breathing was strained though it was more his lungs wouldn't take the air he was offering it, then lack of air.

His body was quivering when something finally touched him, snatching him off the sharp hard wood chips. His eyes opened enough to see ringlets of brown hair dangling in front of his eyes, and he wrapped his fingers around it, leaning into the soft tangerine smelling strand.

"It's okay to cry, Lex…" Clark whispered, hugging Lex close to his body as if he was a baby.

At that point, tears began leaking out of Lex's eyes though he kept trying to blink them away to find them keep coming, and he looked at Clark confused. Clark only smiled at him, brushing the tears off of Lex's cheek, and massaging the palm of Lex's hand lazily.

"I shouldn't be crying," he murmured.

"It's hurting you."

He felt the arms pull him closer, against Clark's chest, and he just lay there, content, crying silently. Clark just held him, rubbing his back in soothing patterns…whispering things into his ear ever so softly. He couldn't hear most of things been said but they put him at ease, and he slid off Clark's lap, sitting back on the wood chips, leaning his head on Clark's shoulder, hands still laced in Clark's larger.

Lex had gone past caring what they looked like, though if any pictures got taken, he'd be in a lot of hot water since they looked pretty much like a couple. For some reason, that didn't bother him…somewhere deep inside, he wanted that.

"I liked your speech…"

"It was for you…"

Lex smiled up at Clark, and stroked along the crease between the long fingers, getting a light purr, which made his smile expand more. Clark was a verbal person by nature, it made him happy to hear noise. It told him where Clark was placed in life.

"I'm sorry, " he apologized, tracing the outline of Clark's ear, waiting for him to squirm away from him.

After a few seconds, Clark finally flinched but didn't pull away. " For what?"

Lex made sure to be right next to Clark's ear, blowing lightly, getting a shiver out of Clark. " Everything."

"I'm sorry for over-reacting and jumping to conclusions."

His hand was running along Lex's scalp, nuzzling the light bud at the back of his skull, and Lex arched for the touch. It was one of the rare erogenous zones on his body, and he could feel himself flying mentally.

"You had every right to…" Lex defended, as the callused thumb stroked down the back of his neck, resting there, and he sighed, closing his eyes. He felt so at peace, with Clark's unique scent of sawdust and citrus lulling him into tranquility, and the press of a body next to him, reminding him he wasn't alone. Clark's breathes were in tune with his, nearly as unobserved as his, and he never felt so happy in his life. There was only one thing that could make this moment perfect…

"Clark, can I kiss you?"

Clark's eyes opened in shock, but he nodded dumbly, fixated on Lex who was looking up at him with lowered lashes, looking very much the sexual personified delicacy he was.

"You're beautiful, ya know," Lex muttered as his lips grazed Clark's neck as he made his way up Clark's lips. He paused for a second, their noses touching each other. "Is this okay with you?"

Clark nodded slightly, and Lex's face filled with a confident cocky smile, as he kissed Clark agonizingly slow, taking his time getting to Clark's lips.

The corner of his lip was kissed, to feel the rough pressure slowly descending towards the prize, a soft tongue outlining the boundaries of his lips. He groaned at the painful electrity that went through his stomach, and parted his lips, begging for Lex to just kiss him like a normal person.

Lex's eyes were closed, and he looked so peaceful in Clark's eyes, as their lips finally connected, separating to better drain their repressed emotions. The older male scraped his teeth along Clark's lower lip, nibbling it to bring him into his mouth, sucking on it.

Clark was finally relaxing, when Lex pulled away, looking at Clark, waiting for the verdict of guilt.

_Solitude_

I can't stay away from you

"Wow," was all that got past Clark's swollen lips as he stared into space, running his tongue against his lips. He finally lifted his eyes high enough to look into Lex's, and he reached forward, grabbing Lex, to deposit him in his lap as if he wasn't a full grown man but just a child.

Lex leaned his head back, tilting it far enough back so he could see Clark's face which was looking down at him with something akin to lust. "Is that a good wow or a bad wow?"

"What do you think?" was his only warning before Clark kissed him, clutching Lex to lean back into him, as years of sexual tension being resolved in a hungry primal kiss. Lex tugged at the curls that occupied his hands, pulling Clark's mouth closer to him, as he plumaged the willing mouth for the sweet taste he was craving for.

Even in love, Lex was a dominator, and Clark was only too happy to comply to the demands brought against him, kissing Lex back with as much passion as the older man had experience, and it was only when Lex needed more air then he could inhale within the short breaks between their bouts of passion, did he finally pull away, leaning his ear against Clark's chest, hearing the irregular heart beat. If he strained hard enough, it almost played Jingle Bells, if he added in a note or two.

"I'd love to continue but the funeral will be ending soon. Unless you want to end up on the front page…" Lex kept it open-ended, and Clark nodded, wrapping his arms around Lex's thin shoulders. He placed a chaste kiss between the exposed collar bones before buttoning the top of the dress shirt back up so Lex looked less disheveled then both of them were feeling.

"Thank you," the voice was barely audible but Lex could feel it more then hear it with the waves of contentment that wafted onto him from his lover surrounding him, and he smiled. The muscles in his cheeks were beginning to hurt from smiling so much, but it was well worth the happiness and joy that flew through his veins.

"No, thank you. You gave me a second chance, and my life is worth living now. Because of you…and sorry…I am being mushy." He apologized, realizing he spoke too much, revealing his emotions too soon.

"It's cute," Clark reassured him and Lex leaned up to nip at the skin, knowing the effect it would have on Clark, making him squirm uncontrollably.

A long pause of silence, with the gentle swaying of the wind, whistling through the trees.

"I'm not like you…." Clark blurted out randomly.

"No one is like you, Clark, because you're you." His nose was nuzzling into Clark's thin t-shirt, soaking in the scent of flowery soap.

"That's not what I mean…"

"I know…we don't have to talk about it yet if you don't want to." Clark petting him rewarded him, and he sighed in bliss, as Clark kissed his eyelids, and he just lay there, eyes closed. All his senses were full of Clark, and it felt like nothing in the world mattered anymore. Nothing besides he had the thing he wanted to most right by his side, and it was all his.

"Did I hit you that day with the car?"

"You did…"

"I am glad I did."

"Why is that?"

"I'd never have met you otherwise."

Clark chuckled, and Lex didn't have to turn around to see the radiant glow of Clark's full-blown smile.

"It's destiny." Lex purred, sucking on the skin just above his throat, swirling his tongue to gather the unusual taste. "You taste good."

"Thanks?" Clark was blushing and Lex had to smile at the innocent spectacle his friend made.

_How many times have I done this to myself?_

Hours seemed to pass though it was only minutes as they lay there, cuddling with each other, both content with no talking or moving. It seemed natural that they were together, no awkward fitting of their bodies together, it was just perfect juncture.

"You're so warm," Lex mumbled incoherently, his nose burrowed into Clark's shoulder.

"Elevated body temperature, it runs about hundred and two regularly."

"Are you hot? I can move if the heat is bothering you…"

"No, Lex, I'm fine…I like sitting here with you," like this he wanted to add but his courage was still too low to admit such loving things.

_How long will it take before I see?_

"I wish we could stay like this forever."

"Why's that?"

" The world is blind to what we feel." Lex raised his head from Clark's shoulder and traced Clark's strong jaw line, feeling the muscles move under his fingertips as Clark swallowed, opening his eyes to respond to Lex's silent question that was written all over in his eyes.

"Fuck the world," was his response, lost in the lapis lazuli orbs, all his rational thought processing skidding to a halt, and unabridged emotion replaced it, as Clark met Lex's lips, trying to convey more then he could ever say. He didn't want Lex to leave him, he wanted to be with Lex.

It was short and sweet which disappointed both, and they reluctantly pulled away from each other, sensing people were beginning to walk around, and they would be soon found.

_When will this hole in my heart be mended?_

"The media can't see us," Clark whispered hurriedly, and helped pull Lex to his feet who was still clinging to Clark.

All the blood rushed out of his head and he blinked several times, trying to get his bearing and a feel of balance back into his body. Clark was still holding him until he could see straight, and he looked up at Clark worried.

" I know…no one should ever know about you."

"You can't be known as a pedophile."

Clark's hands were slowly running themselves down his chest, straightening up his suit, and the urge to just grab Clark and give him the same dosage of temptation and satyriasis that was coursing through his blood stream was immense.

"Clark?" his voice was strangled and Clark looked up at him with a knowing smile, kissing the tip of his nose.

"I'll see you tonight, okay? I'll meet you at your penthouse," Another kiss was extended to him, and Clark was wandering back to the crowds to appear as if he had never left.

_Who now is left alone but me_

Lex watched Clark's retreat, meeting up with the two laughing girls. He couldn't but help feeling alone, and the pit in his stomach felt rather vacant, as if his body was made out of air instead of blood and various sorts of cells. He was empty…he didn't feel complete unless he was lying within Clark's arms, and touching him.

That feeling alone scared him, and he realized he had fallen hard for the teenage farm boy, and that boy liked him back just as much. Lex couldn't help but smile and he walked back towards the castle, counting the seconds in his mind before he could see Clark.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had become half past eleven when Clark finally showed up, slipping through Lex's glass door on the balcony of the penthouse, seventy floors up.

Lex had attempted to stay up, but had fallen asleep on the couch, still looking in the direction of the balcony doors and Clark had to grin. Lex almost resembled a child when he slept, years of being a ruthless and cold businessman seemed to melt off him, as he softly snored.

Clark pushed the swaying curtains out of the way and walked silently to where Lex was sleeping, hovering above the couch. He could see that Lex had fallen into a deep sleep, and that this rest was perhaps the only real sleep he had had all week. He looked too peaceful to wake up.

Lex was a lightweight man and it didn't take too much shifting to fit Clark on the couch with a pillow on his lap to support Lex's head. He made sure to be gentle enough to not wake up Lex who had a built in detector for protection when he slept. It was partly his upbringing that had got his accustomed to sleeping lightly to wake up at any unexpected movement.

_Solitude_

Forever me and Forever you

He rubbed circles onto Lex's skull, marveling at the soft skin and how natural it felt to find not a single strand of hair on it. Clark was a fan of a lot of hair on a person, but with Lex, the absence of it was even more sexier if then if he had a full mane of curly red hair which he would have had if not for Clark.

Yeah, he felt guilty about Lex losing his hair because it had been his fault, but he couldn't feel too bad about it. If that hadn't happened, he wouldn't exist and Lex would be a clone of his father. No, this way was better for them all in the end.

_Solitude_

Only you, Only true

Lex's eyes was baring into his when he returned out of his thoughts, and he watched them harden in confusment and sensing danger, to soften as Clark kissed his forehead, realizing he was fine.

"Hey," he smiled weakly as Clark's large hand enclosed his. "Sorry I fell asleep."

"You look at peace when you are sleeping, I couldn't bear to wake you."

"You should have. I wanted to see you."

The fingers tightened around his, and Clark caressed his thumb, reassuring him that it was okay.

"Did you have any problem getting in?"

Clark shook his head, and Lex placed his hands around Clark's chin, pulling him closer so he could kiss him. Their lips brushed together, gently and Clark lifted Lex up higher so neither of them had to strain.

Clark let Lex explore his mouth willingly, balking at the sensation of nerve endings he had yet to realize he had being activated, letting his hands wander along the waistband of Lex's plaid pajama pants, feeling the pointy hips bones that always fascinated him so much.

He knew he had achieved his goal when Lex stopped kissing him, opening his eyes, their lips still connected, hands coming to rest on Clark's. Clark looked up at him, and Lex licked his lips nervously.

"I can't lose control yet," he whispered, and Clark couldn't help the surprised look on his face. He wasn't expecting to hear that.

Lex responded quickly, seeing the hurt look stream across Clark's face. " Victoria is staying on the other side of the pent house. I want our first time to be without any inhibitions."

Clark nodded, seeing the logic behind it though his body was protesting giving up so late in the game. "Can we still make-out?" He made the puppy dog eyes and Lex's hard stare began to melt.

"I think that will be okay, " he whispered, and he straddled Clark's hips so he had better access to Clark who was clutching his desperately, needing to be touched in some form.

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The cruel mistress would always wander the halls when she could not lay her head down upon her pillow and drift off to her imagined Happily ever After land. Tonight was no different and the late night shows that were meant to occupy people like herself were calling her name viciously.

_Everyone leaves me stranded_

Forgotten, abandoned left behind

I can't stay here another night

She had worn a silk teddy to sleep, in hopes that Lex would find his way to her room, and see her in it. He hadn't come…and she was so cold. She felt like her fingers and toes would drop off any minute because she had no feeling in them, and even with the blanket around her shoulders, she was still shivering.

She would have thought that Lex would be depressed but had glee that his father was now dead and Lex now owned the company. The Lex she knew always crawled into bed with someone when he was depressed, craving the warmth of another body curled up to him.

She had filled that role for him once, she had planned on doing it again. She knew Lex loved her, though he didn't show her in any way besides the perimeter of his own home. He had saved her from the demons that came to occupy themselves into her life, and then, he wrote her off just like that. There ended their business and their pleasure.

_Your secret admirer, who could it be?_

Can't you see all along that it was me?

She had entered the side of his penthouse he had reserved for himself, which he had gave her strict instructions to not come into, if she wanted to stay with him. She had every intention of obeying them, but she wanted comfort. She wanted to find solace in his arms.

She hit the living room and what greeted her eyes peeved her off but also caught her curiosity.

Lex was snuggling under Clark's arm that held him in place against Clark's body. He was sitting on top of him, and Clark was slouched out, sitting up as well, their limbs entangled, and looking very much at ease with each other.

If the sight of her former lover and his younger farmer friend wasn't enough to make her lose her cool, it could be that when she stepped closer, she realized neither of them were fully on the couch. They were floating a few inches off of it in thin air, and she glared, storming off to her room to grab a camera.

_How can you be so blind to see right through me?_


	5. Where will you go

Silence; the absence of noise, the most beautiful noise of them all. Lex had not realized how much he missed it until he couldn't hear anything but the steady beating of a heart against his back and the relaxed breathing of the man cradling him from behind.

He looked through his perpetual vision to see Clark dozing in and out of sleep, face a perfect sight of contentment and angelic beauty. He was smiling, his lips twisted into it naturally, and Lex wondered how lucky he was, to gaze at his own homely version of a world wonder.

Well, technically Clark was a world wonder, being an alien, but he meant it more, as there was no faults to Clark. The perfect curve of his nose, with his intense truthful eyes, pouty soft lips, the strong jaw line underlined with fragile interior.

The best thing he could describe it was the Roman arts, with their statues of Gods and biblical figures, being so impossibly impressive, well endowed in beauty and all other qualities that shall make one a God or Goddess.

"Sans peur et sans reproché, " he whispered, finding the words he was searching for within his mind. The meaning of the words were lost on him in his haze of bliss, but he knew they were right, as he leaned into Clark, feeling the warmth enclose him

_You're too important for anyone_

You play the role of all you ought to be

He was an early riser by nature and he knew Clark was as well, which made him only want to allow Clark to just lie there in his half awake state, enjoying the feeling of being nowhere and everywhere at once. He didn't mind relaxing though his mind was nagging for him to get up and do some assorted activities to appear busy when Victoria stumbled out of bed around noon.

He glanced over the muscles on Clark's arms that held him in place. They were so dark compared to his pale coloring, sculpted by a fine chisel, untarnished and not artificial in any sense. He ran his finger along the skin, feeling the muscles underneath it, and the soft gloss of sweat that coated his forearm.

Clark would shiver involuntary and he could feel the shudders enter his body, and it fascinated him, the scientist that always lay dormant within him would rise the more time he spent with Clark.

Jonathon had been right about only one thing, Lex didn't have the best track record on keeping secrets. But he was willing to try. He could feel it buzzing through his body, it had been present since the first time he had opened his eyes to see Clark hovering over him. It had just intensified as they got closer to each other.

To call the buzzing love, would not be right, it was more he felt shaky but yet exhilarating, as if he had just gotten off a roller coaster, still on the high of speed and heights, but touching the ground, the limitations of the world were beginning to take over.

He wanted to protect Clark from all that the world offered to corrupt innocent minds, he wanted to shower Clark in all the things he could never have, and have in return, the one thing he could never possess, love. He felt that when he was around Clark, that gravity no longer existed, he could go and do anything in the world he wanted, anywhere, any time. With Clark, he could give up being on guard, and just exist as a human being, not as the Cronos role he had played for almost his entire life, having effect on everything he touched, but never living to see the handy work he had done.

_But I, I know who you really are_

You're the one who cries when you're alone

The first time he heard about what Clark had seen with Cassandra, he was ready to denounce her abilities and tell him it wasn't real. She was a fake…he wanted to make Clark rest from the powers he was conceived with, but then his equally horrible future was accurate as well in a sense.

From that moment on, Lex had swore he would find a way to live forever, to make it so the ones Clark loved could live a bit longer, so he never had to see Clark cry again. Clark crying was a sin against the Gods who had so obviously created him. He wasn't meant to cry, he was meant to inspire hope to the world.

He had hugged Clark and told him that he would never be alone. Lex intended on keeping that way, if he betrayed Clark, he'd be alone and he had to admit that destiny was real.

A soothing wave washed over him, as he felt Clark shift against him, leaning his head over Lex's shoulder to softly pull the earlobe with his teeth.

"Morning," he mumbled into Lex's ear, and Lex smiled at him, kissing his forehead lazily.

"You make a good pillow, " he commented and Clark's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Lex snickered to himself and pressed his lips to the nape of Clark's neck, teasing the skin lightly with his tongue before nipping it.

Clark's cheeks were getting redder, and Lex looked at him confused about why Clark wasn't responding until he saw one of his servants standing in the corner of the doorway, staring blankly at them as if he saw two beautiful men making out every day on the sofa.

"Don't stand there, tell me why you feel a need to spy on my current affairs?" Lex barked while Clark cringed in the corner. The business half of Lex frightened him, it was commanding and riveting at the same time, impossible to take your eyes off him but you were scared to look.

"The Inquisitor printed a story about you on the first page, I wanted to make sure you know what it says before…"

"Before what?" Lex placed a kiss on Clark's forehead before detangling himself and smoothing his wrinkled clothes with his hands before picking up the paper. " The funeral is the biggest event of the year, of course…" he was cut short, when the paper reached his hands and looked at it.

Clark watched his lover's face pale then watched him drop down to sit down on the couch, throwing the paper down, as he curled his face into the palms of his hands.

"What's wrong?" Clark scooted over to Lex's area of the couch, and moved behind him. Seeing that Lex was not going to answer, he began to massage his shoulders, whispering sweet nothings in his ears, trying to get him to calm down.

It seemed to loosen him up a little bit, and Clark slid off to the couch, kneeling by Lex's feet to grab Lex's chin and push it up so he could look at it.

A tear stained face greeted him, the pale unblemished face a streaked red color and Clark bit his lower lip, not realizing how bad this was. He leaned forward to kiss Lex's eyelids, stroking his cheek, attempting to coax the problem out of him.

"Look at the paper…" Lex mumbled, and Clark reached over to grab it.

On the front page was a picture of Lex and Clark floating in the air, kissing each other feverishly, Lex having a nice grasp on his ass, using it to keep him from falling off.

_But where will you go?_

With no one left to save you from yourself

You can't escape

"Fuck," Clark muttered as the fear began to grip his heart, squeezing it for all its worth. He groaned and he felt Lex pull them together, hugging him, nuzzling his nose against the soft curls of Clark's hair. Clark just held on for dear life, and sighed, pulling away.

Lex could only give him a parting glance of sadness before Clark sped out of the room at full hyper speed, disappearing out of the window, and as Lex realized he was gone, he knew that within a few minutes, Clark would reach the farm.

That would be a good thing, he needed to deal with the press about this little incident. He breathed in, taking in the last remains of Clark's scent that hung in the air, and stood up, walking to his bedroom to get changed, and face the impending chaos.

_You can't escape_

The wind hitting his eyes and the taste of fresh cold air in his lungs was the reason he loved driving as fast as he did, and the only reason he had half of his cars with an open top for the sole reason of feeling nature. He wasn't sure how fast he was going as he went down the highway, it didn't really matter because no one else was around and so he got to take up both lanes on the freeway and just speed. He would be arriving on the farm to see Clark in only a few more minutes. Until then, he was running through the facts with his mind, remembering what his servant had told him, to make sure he told them straight up to Clark.

"Victoria took the pictures last night and pulled some strings to make sure they were published. They can't prove that the floating is real or fake, but the press isn't going to jump on that. They are jumping on the fact that Lex Luthor is having a homosexual relationship with a minor."

Lex had argued that wasn't fair since Clark was no longer a minor, but the media didn't care about that sort of stuff. He felt like he had royally screwed up, and after seeing Clark, he was going to make his statement to the press then seriously hurt Victoria.

This fucked everything up, he finally admitted to loving Clark and Clark loving him, and now this had to happen. He would never hurt Clark, he was hoping that his secret would still remain a secret.

The driveway was bumpy, throwing his body against the back of his seat, announcing to his mind that he was at the Clark's farm. He had been driving on auto-pilot the entire time. He pulled into the parking area, and got out of the car, brushing the creases out of his trench coat before walking to the house.

The door had been casually left open with a agitated Jonathon Clark looking out of it with his shotgun, and Lex gulped before stepping up to the door plate and slipping into the house, closing the door behind him.

He was eyed angrily and he spoke before the parades of offensive insults were blown at him.

"I didn't mean this to happen. I never thought Victoria would do something that…"

The peanut gallery interrupted him. " Smart…Catty? For a Luthor, you sure do underestimate the bad side of people."

"I been trying to think better of people, " Lex growled, fidgeting.

"I know you didn't mean for this to happen but it did. How are you going to fix it?"

Lex let out a sigh of relief, seeing that he could handle the manic father. " They aren't worried about the floating. They think I am a homosexual relationship with your son who though isn't a minor anymore, they are going to see from day one, our friendship has been that way."

"Are you in a homosexual relationship with my son?" He did it straight-faced, and Lex just gaped at him, surprised.

"Last night was the first time I have ever touched him." Lex tried to maintain his eye contact, he wasn't lying really, and there couldn't be a relationship if one person wasn't willing.

"Fine then. If anyone finds out about his powers, I am holding you personally responsible and not even Clark's immunity to bullets will save your sorry ass when I am though with you. They will have to dig for years to find your mutilated body."

Again a straight-faced response and Lex had to smile, knowing it was deadly true. He nodded and Jonathon nudged his chin up, to indicate where Clark was.

Lex crept up the stairs quietly and to the ajar door, peeking in to look at Clark.

_You think that I can't see right through you_

Scared to death to face reality

Clark looked up at him, sensing his aura, and Lex walked into the room, taking a seat next to Clark on the bed.

He looked like shit. His eyes were bloodshot from crying, and he was lying under the blankets, obviously trying to sleep off his depression. Lex hated him seeing him like this, and kissed Clark gently, taking time to lick off the tears that had yet to fall any further then his cheeks. Clark gave a content sigh as Lex pulled away, curling up next to Clark's still body.

"It's going to turn out okay. I promise it will…" Lex smiled at Clark and let Clark press his hand into his, clenching it tightly, never wanting to let go. He rubbed the joints in a circular motion, coaxing the silent Clark to speak up.

"People are never going to look at me the same." His green eyes looked so scared and Lex was tempted to just give into his urge to just ravish the farmer's mouth and be screwed with the meaningful conversation.

"Does that bother you?"

"No, I have you. But it's sort of like admitting I am not normal…that I am not human."

"True, but I like you the way you are…" He bit down on Clark's neck, getting a squeal, as Clark petted his head sweetly.

"I want to stay with you, I want to stay here with all my friends," he blurted out randomly, and he could feel the tears welling behind his eyes, and Lex seemed to sense that, embracing him, allowing him to cry. He was getting Lex's shirt soaking wet, making the silk probably colder against Lex's already frozen skin, but it felt nice to have someone so close to him who knew everything about him, who didn't fear him but loved him.

Lex's nails were scratching down his back hard, and if Clark wasn't what he was, he knew there would be deep scratches that would hurt like hell, but to him, it felt amazing, like someone took something hot to the touch on his cold body, and the heat would spread from the point.

"They wouldn't find out…" Lex purred into his ear, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, not breaking the connection as he leaned back, away from Clark.

"I have to go to the press conference, verify that there was no illegal interactions between us before you turned 16. Is there anything that I don't know that happened?"

"Nope, unless you call mouth to mouth a sexual act?" Clark was beginning to cheer up, smirking at him.

"It was," he whispered into Clark's ear. " With you."

"I remember when I breathed into you, I thought how soft your lips were." Lex giggled at the sheer absurdity of the comment, and he scooted forward, pressing the length of his body against Clark's to kiss him deeply, trying to imprint Clark into every cell of his body in case this was the last time they ever got to do this.

Some grumbling disturbed them after a minute, and Lex looked up to see Jonathon shooting Lex with something akin to death glares if not for the proud look that were written everywhere over his body. Lex gave a short kiss to Clark in parting and walked past Jonathon, not allowing him to make comments. He got into his Porsche, and sped away, once again fighting against the wind for supremacy.

_No one seems to hear your hidden cries_

You will have to face them yourself

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day seemed to increase in the number of times Clark cried as it wallowed further and further into the light fading into the sky, to let the darkness shade him, losing him from the limelight. He had the cover of night and the trees to cover him as he went along his journey, trekking barefoot through the row of corn.

_But where will you go_

With no one left to save you from yourself

He saw Lex on the news, applying the careful bandage over the wounds that had been inflicted on them both. He didn't deny the fact he was bisexual, but he cleared up that a rival company had taken the pictures to get him into trouble with the media, and him and Clark had no relationship other then the friendship they had shared since after his car crash three years ago.

It stung deep that Lex couldn't say the truth to the entire world, but it was the perfect ploy to keep him from the media's eyes. He could feel the same feeling in Lex that he had been feeling since he woke up that morning, wanting to shout to the world that he had claimed Lex Luthor. But that wouldn't help either of them, and Clark was content knowing Lex would see him as soon as he could, to verify he still loved him, and make this mess seem like nothing then a walk in the park.

_You can't escape the truth_

I realize you are afraid

He was trying to do just that, avoiding the truth and he walked at an average human speed through the corn stalks to not rattle them so the air patrol could see them. He was paranoid that everyone was watching him, and through the private conversation he had with Lex via a cell phone and random pay phone two states away, he knew it was true. The whole world was going after this story.

Smallville had been a huge story place when the meteors had hit, but never again did it reappear in the news in rampant bursts of information. Now with the knowledge of Lex Luthor and himself in that picture, it came to light the meteors abilities and questions were being flung around.

Reporters were constantly calling him, asking for an interview or a comment on his relationship with Lex Luthor, and the digging for clues on alien life was being scoped out. Clark was scared they could trace him, with three years of random occurrences going on that all coincidentally involved him, were not going to fly under the radar with the federal government who didn't run things by family involvement.

Lex advised him not to talk, and let him handle it, and thus he would do just that. But panic had seized its hold on his body, and he began to fear for the lives of his friends and family. And thus, he left a note to his parents, telling them he was leaving for awhile, and he'd see them when he could. The words he had chosen said a lot more then they implied he had to hide the true meanings behind the twenty or so words.

_But you can't abandon everyone_

You can't escape

You don't want to escape

He hadn't been following any distinct path and when he found himself by the caves, he wondered if it was only an accident or his feet had moved this way for a reason. But he knew answers did lie here…answers that could save him, and the ones he loved.

He leaned against the hollow walls, and leaned his head back, letting his mind clear. He had realized it a few weeks ago that when he concentrated, he could hear other people's thoughts. That freaked him out and so he blocked it out, not trying to develop it any further.

The place of where his father's sprit resided held some power, and he could feel the barriers he had set up to get rid of the incoming thoughts shatter. Being alone in the woods, there were none, which made him happy with the silence and the sound of crickets chirping putting him at ease.

He scanned with his mind for Lex. He wasn't sure what exactly he was doing, or how he was doing it, but it felt so natural and he felt Lex.

The color in his mind changed to a deep royal purple, which seemed to be the color of Lex's presence, and he forwarded his thoughts to Lex.

What's going on

{Hearing your voice in my head, Clark, is not a good sign of sanity}

Sorry, I just wanted someone to talk to

{Things aren't great but they have yet to turn horrible}

Why's that

{All your secrets though stored in my house and work sites are in a safe}

Why can't they get into it

{Only Martha knows the combination to get into it}

They have a search warrant, don't they? 

{My mansion, the plant here and the main building, and your house}

Did they find anything? 

{Your parents are quite the masters of deception}

So nothing yet? 

{Of course}

There was some silence as Clark leaned his head against the cold cave wall, as Lex talked on the phone with some various people he obviously didn't like, hearing the explicit language he used to bitch at them as he spoke kindly to them, ever in control of his emotions.

{Sorry about that}

Do you love me, Lex? 

{More then life itself}

Are you willing to die to keep me safe? 

{My life without you around wouldn't be worth the time I lived or would be the accomplishments I achieved if you aren't there to celebrate them with me. The smile you give to me is enough to make me your slave in body and soul, and every time you say my name, I wonder if it is your pet name for me or is your special version of an old word to beckon me. All the seconds I spend with you seem so fast and if I had the ability to, I would freeze them so I could spend forever just standing next to you, being filled up with all of you.}

Wow

{I can tell that you liked that}

It was so beautifully spoken

{Poetry is all about seduction}

I want to see you right now

{So you can return the emotions that are going through your mind}

Can you hear them? 

{Maybe you should repeat them, because I may not have heard them correctly}

Nervousness ram through the connection and Lex was worried that he maybe was taking this too far, but then Clark spoke up, very quietly.

I want to touch you, outlining every part of your body, then slowly kissing it to taste the sweetness. I want to hear your whimpers and watch the way your body quivers when I touch that spot on your back. I want to taste every part of you and take all of you in, to me to hold alone. I want to see your eyes blurred with desire, and feel your hands on me, pulling me against you. When you begin to beg me to end my torture to your poor system, it will be then that I fuck you, hard and slow, the way you always want everything

{Damn you, I need to see you.}

So do I

{Clark, stop hiding out in the woods and come back to me. Please…}

You know where I am? 

{Everywhere you go, I can feel it. Can't you feel the same thing? }

Yeah, I feel it

{You have nothing to be ashamed of}

They'll only hurt us

{So let them. I need to see you}

I'm sorry

Clark broke their connection with that, and blocked out Lex's incoming thoughts as he walked into the cave, touching the panel he had sworn he would never touch again.

_I'm so sick of speaking words that no one understands_

Is it clear enough that you can't live your whole like all alone

I can hear you in a whisper, but you can't even hear me screaming

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Loneliness was a welcome feeling and not an uncommon thing for the infamous brooding bad boy Lex Luthor to do when he was feeling stressed out. What wasn't common was the fact it was bordering on one a.m. and he was sitting in a graveyard.

The moon hung in the clear gray sky, clouds blocking out of the stars. It blanketed him and kept him warm in the harsh air of the morning. It was cool and it brushed against his skin, making him shiver.

He yearned to return back to the mansion and curl up under the cotton bundles of blankets, as electric heat was transferred through his skin, rising his body temperature to an almost normal human range.

_Where will you go?_

With no one left to save you for yourself

His father's freshly dug grave towered above all the other stones in the dew-colored grass. It wasn't made of stone, for it shimmered in the night, drawing eyes to it instantly. Lionel had given Lex the power to choose the gravestone and the inscription on it in the will.

He had chosen it to be in the shape of a cactus with an eagle perched on the top of it. Having money gave you certain rights within a society, and he had gotten the shape hand-crafted by some of the best people in the world.

In Aztec Society, it was said that they would build their capital in the place of the Gods, where an eagle would sit on a cactus. In a sense, it was saying that the imagery came from God or was God, and thus he had chosen it out of respect for that.

_You can't escape the truth_

I realize you are afraid

He looked up at the grave, hoping it would give him some answers, being near his father. His father, though evil and demented, had brought out the greatness that resided in Lex, and hopefully his father would renew his hopes into the coming age of scandals about Lex, and ultimately Clark.

_But you can't reject the whole world_

"Lex, what are you doing here?"

He turned his head around to see Smallville's reigning ice princess looking at him in worry, and he climbed up to his feet, to tower over her. "Just seeing that the engravers had spelled everything right."

"It doesn't really matter if they spelled your father's name right or not. Everyone in town will know it was Lionel Luthor's by the sheer size of it."

"Does that bother you, Lana?"

"Why would it?"

"It overshadows your mother's grave."

Lana lowered her head in understandment. " Lionel overshadowed everything…"

"And so he shall in death…" Lex finished off her sentence.

"Is it true about you and Clark?" she was looking at him wide-eyed, and he felt a need to tell her the truth, but he couldn't do it. He suddenly realized that was how Clark must have always felt when he was with her.

"What about it?"

"You wouldn't tell me the truth even if it was true…"

Lex had to smile at her. She had been raised well though being in a small wholesome town.

"If it is, congratulations, you make a good couple, and I am serious about that. If it is not, I hope both of you the best of luck on trying to regain some normalcy back in your lives." She smiled back at him, and he could tell through her eyes that she meant every word she was saying.

He watched her walk away and looked up at the tombstone, as his thoughts on what he had to do formed in front of his very eyes. He read the headstone carefully, smirking at the words that had been chosen. He had forgotten he had chosen them, it had been so many years ago that he had sent the letter away to get it, it felt.

_You can't escape_

You won't escape

You can't escape

You don't want to escape


	6. Give unto me

****

What has made you return to me, Kal'el?

Clark opened his eyes to look into the sky into the area his father's voice boomed from. He did a quick scan over himself and noted he was still dressed for the most part, in his bright blue boxers. It gave him some comfort, it was one piece further away from this world that was infested with evil auras.

_I've been watching you from a distance_

But distance sees through your disguise

"The world may find out…my…secret," he stuttered out, biting his lower lip at realization that everything was going up in flames. He knew it before, but the weight of his words hit the bottom of his soul, and he held back tears as he sniffled.

****

They were meant to

"I just wanted to keep pretending I was human."

****

But you aren't human, accept it

" I love my family and all I am doing is hurting them. I am hurting all my friends…they probably will now hate me."

****

You are being stupid

"I am not."

****

It's a good thing. This is your destiny.

"My destiny isn't accepting your devious plot to take over the world!" Clark snarled at the invisible man, and he could hear the voice chuckling to itself.

****

You can keep running from your destiny but it will always find you. You were born to rule them, Kal'el. You are smarter and stronger then they are. You were meant to live on our legacy.

"What legacy would that be? To spend my entire life hurting others!"

****

Our Legacy is to rule and to bring control to the weak. Only by the strong can they grow up and learn to be worthy to us.

" I don't want to control people. I am just as much like them as they are to themselves."

****

You weren't sent to Earth to bond with the inhabitants on the planet. You were sent here so you can renew our race.

"So all I am supposed to do is bear a child and renew a death race of aliens. Answer this for me. Why are we dead in the first place?"

****

Our eternal enemy, the Kryptonite, blew up their only planet to destroy the "disease" that plagued them. Your mother who had just bore you sent you away on the only ship left to make sure you would live.

"Are we the disease that you refer to as?"

****

You either can be prey or predator. I think these humans refer to it as Social Darwinism.

Clark felt disgusted with himself and he hugged his knees to his chest, crying silently into them. He felt so unclean, feeling that he was in fact evil. He had assumed his race had been good, but this…this wasn't what he had pictured. This wasn't how he pictured his alien self to be like. He didn't want to be a ruthless conquer to the people who raised him and the only people who ever loved him.

"I will never become my "destiny"."

****

You will. It's inevitable. It is controlled by a fate that can not be harnessed by any species, even us.

"Humans may be weak but they did teach me something important. There is never one option. Destiny will not control my life, and maybe I will die resisting it, but at least I won't become like you."

Clark stood up, dusting off the dirt scatted on his boxers, and he closed his eyes, willing himself to return back to his home.

Oddly enough, Jor'el didn't stop him this time, and he found himself standing at the edge of the cave again. He breathed a sigh of relief, and began his run, heading for somewhere he felt safe, across the state border perhaps.

_All I want from you is your hurting_

He could sit there forever on his little perch, staring in through the tinted glass, taking in the look on Lex's face as he worked out, spinning his authentic katana around with practice ease. The cold air was hitting his heated flesh, making him chilled, but the way it felt as it tangled his hair made him feel free. He felt at peace in the air where no one could see him or sense him, and his stalkerish ways of peering through windows to get a glimpse of his lover put him in a rather content mood.

Pale porcelain flesh, the same cream color as the moon that shone down on it, illuminating it, glistened as the sinewy muscles flexed as he leapt, slashing in mid-air at the totem that had been set up. The comparison to a tiger diving after their prey couldn't help being done; the grace he seemed to land and how cleanly he had cut through. His stone eyes were fully concentrated and his lips were pressed into a hard smile of cocky superiority.

Clark licked his lips unconsciously, worshipping the sight below him, though there still wasn't enough skin exposed on Lex with the baggy pants and tight muscle shirt. Lex was glancing up at his direction and his eyes seemed to see through the window to pierce Clark's, and Clark smiled, jumping down off the window to wait patiently at the side door for Lex to let him in.

He felt rather then heard the door click as it was unlocked and he slid in quickly, locking it behind him to just gaze at Lex who was trying his hardest to keep his face unreadable though a smile was tugging at the edge of his lips, leaning against the wall with the sword in his hands still.

"Happy to see me?" Clark asked, not bothering to hide the painful smile on his face that he seemed to wear permanently when with Lex. Lex's breaths were getting more rapid as he got closer, and he stopped a few inches from his face, putting his index finger under Lex's jaw, listening to the wild heartbeat. His eyes never left Lex's who was looking at him confused, heat rising into his cheeks.

"Yeah. I had a feeling you were watching me."

"You looked hot like that, focused and in control."

"Did I now?" Lex chuckled to himself as he pulled Clark closer to him to kiss him, keeping eye contact with Clark as he teased his lips until they were swollen slightly. He wasn't allowing Clark to kiss him, and Clark groaned in frustration, which gave Lex sick satisfaction as he snickered as he pulled away.

"You're mean," Clark pouted as Lex walked down the hallway to hang up his sword in the mini gym area.

"Not at all. If I was mean, I wouldn't have kissed you at all."

"Good point." Clark shrugged, and helped pull the shirt off of Lex, which clung, to him from the sweat drenching his body. He couldn't help the urge to smell it as he handed it to one of the many invisible servants around, and even sweaty, Lex smelled extremely good.

Lex had moved on to the shower while Clark pondered the scent that Lex used to make him smell so godly and so he took the time to straighten up his outfit, making sure his t-shirt and pajama pants didn't look as dirty as they really were from the other night, delivering baby cows in the middle of the night. He had put them on when he had gone home, forgetting he was supposed to have gotten them washed, and he was at Lex's before he realized the problem with them.

The scent of lavender hit his nostrils and he looked up to see Lex who motioned for him to follow him through the hallways. Clark followed blindly, not surprised by how many twists and turns they were taking, and the secret doors that were being opened that Lex didn't seem to worry about, trusting Clark, and they came to a room on the lowest level of the house.

The room was cool and Clark immediately fell in love with the fifty-degree climate, with the brick walls, and a canary yellow couch taking up the majority of the room besides the TV and its extensive collection of titles in which to watch.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lex shiver, and something within him cracked, as his hyper speed kicked in, tugging Lex onto the couch with him, and curling up next to him. Lex only gave him an amused smile as he scooted slightly so he could stretch his legs out, overlapping them over Clark's.

"Why'd you bring me down here? You're cold…" Clark asked, kissing Lex's bald-head, liking the way it felt under his lips. It was his new obsession, just touching the silky surface.

"You like the cold, and I like cuddling with you," Lex said simply, and he dug his nose into the creak of Clark's neck, inhaling. "You smell."

"Sorry about that."

"It's okay. I sort of like it. It's just you."

_I want to heal you_

I want to save you from the darkness

"Lex, not that I mind the gooey sentiments but are you okay?" He tipped Lex's chin up to look at him, and Lex blinked, trying to put the mask over his face that showed everything he was feeling: fear and sadness, with hints of longing dashed upon the features.

Lex didn't answer the question but he didn't have to, and Clark let Lex collapse against him, rubbing his fingertips along the sensitive spine, as he held Lex who was clutching him tight enough to leave bruises if one could accomplish such a feat, and he, like Lex, never wanted to let go.

There was safety with Lex, there was some sort of understandment that no words or actions needed to be expressed for each other to know. With Lex, he felt like he was eternally flying, forever happy and free of all his worries.

_Give unto me your troubles_

I'll endure your suffering

"Lex, I have a question."

Lex shifted his body, not letting go of Clark until he was comfortably lying in Clark's lap, head on the pillow next to them, so he had a perfect view of Clark hovering over him. His hand was intertwined in Clark's pressed against his frozen cheek, and he nodded for Clark to continue.

"Remember when there was that dagger and when you and your father touched it, it glowed. In the legend, that would mean one of you had to be the bad guy, since I am Naman. Well, your father wasn't my archenemy and that leaves you theoretically."

"So you are trying to figure out since half of it is true, you are wondering that "the friend who will become the enemy" is me?" Lex tipped his head back as the rough tips ran down his neck, pressing against his throat and Adam's apple. He moaned to encourage Clark who kept playing with that spot. He had forgotten how great it felt to have his neck touched.

"Sorry, but I had to think about it. The words you told me, I still remember them. Naman having that much power could be evil, and in the end maybe it was the archenemy that was the hero in the end. It was the first time I ever thought about how I could have been if I wasn't here."

"You could never be evil, Clark. You care too much about others."

"I am supposed to be evil though…everyone keeps telling me that is my destiny."

Lex arched his back to bring his lips up to touch Clark's, ghosting them, as Clark's hands dug into his back to hold him up, as he stayed like that, his lips just barely touching Clark's.

It was so intimate and Clark was scared to move to wreck this moment, feeling the trust Lex was pouring into him.

_Place onto me your burdens_

I will drink your deadly poison

"Destiny says we are supposed to hate each other. But there's nothing further then the truth," he mumbled, sending a buzz through Clark's lips, making him scrap his lip against his teeth to get rid of the lip. " In the end, even if we are arch rivals, those who are that way, the thing they love the most is the challenge the other one brings. They live for each other. Like us."

Lex finally kissed him, and Clark kissed him back, stroking Lex's tongue into his mouth. He felt so empty and the need to be filled was clawing in his stomach. He leaned down to let Lex rest his back against the sofa, taking the chance to be the dominator for once, and Lex was surprised to find he enjoyed releasing control, and giving it to Clark.

Clark pulled away and Lex smiled at him sadly, burrowing his hands into Clark's hair.

"No matter what tomorrow brings, Clark, the way I feel about you is never going to change. I love you."

The brilliant smile that overcame Clark's face quickly subsided his nerves and Clark whispered back, " I love you too. You hold my fate in your hand."

The last thing Lex remembered for that night as him and Clark fell asleep, was how much his face hurt from smiling, and how wonderful it felt to have a warm body molded to him.

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**Clark Kent; International Man of Mystery**

-- Made of steel or just plain good looks--

Clark Kent is known to many as the local farm boy who delivers produce around Smallville, always giving a friendly hi to everyone he passes and an infamous boyish grin. It's no secret that he tends to be the person who is there at just the right time to help you with any problem that may occur, natural or the paranormal.

But how much do we really know about this 6'3'' male besides his easy grin and his charming exterior?

The Kent's adopted him when he was three from an adoption agency that was only around for six months and he seemed to be the only case that had been taken. He helps his family on the farm, while going to events with the notorious Lex Luthor who he had saved the life of. He is often seen writing in the local coffee shops, and remains the co-editor to the Smallville Torch which is the school's newspaper.

He appears to be the all-American teenager, but as always, in Smallville, the meteors come into play with the lives and daily occurrences of its occupants.

In the past three years, Clark Kent has been seen near or around the scenes of crimes. That would raise suspicion as him being a criminal if not for the fact the majority of the victims thank him for his kindness towards them. There are wandering theories of his secret love affair with Lex Luthor and what drove him to that point?

The truth is Clark isn't exactly "normal." He, like Lex, had been affected by the meteor shower, gaining the abilities of extreme speed, heat vision, and super strength. Lex Luthor had lost all the hair on his body, and through the common link of being an oddity, they connected and this is the premise of their relationship.

Chloe sighed as she looked up at what she had written on the screen, and she lay her head on the keyboard, punching in the letter g, which had taken over three rows before she rose her head up again.

_Why should I care if you they hurt you?_

She was torn between writing this story and just deleting it. She looked at her writing and she knew it was good stuff, good enough for her to land a job and a place in journalism history. Her future lay out in front of her in a gold paved road.

But she didn't want it to be like this, exposing her best friend's secrets to the entire world. Sure, her quest for the truth was her entire life, and now that she finally knew what Clark had hidden from her for seven years, she felt sick to her stomach.

_Somehow it matters more to me_

Than if I were hurting myself

Clark had always been kind to her, never alienating her or hating her, though she had been probably done some things to him she knew she shouldn't have. She hadn't seen him in almost a week now, and she heard through the gossip in the Talon that he was hiding out, scared. She knew about the Federal Agents who were ramshaking the Kent's homes, which was classified info but yet the entire town knew about it.

_Save you, I'll save you_

She sighed, looking at the screen regretfully, and pulled the mouse up to the edit button to click select all, then she hit the delete button, erasing her story from the computer forever. She wasn't going to expose Clark for her success. It felt like she was cheating

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lex had taken a page out of Clark's book and had gone through the balcony to get into Victoria's Australian home just off the coast of Queensland. For someone who had flew half way across the world and was suffering the beginning stages of jet lag, Lex felt pretty damn good, as he slid through the open balcony doors where Victoria was sleeping in a pair of white boxers and a wife beater, wrapped in the light blue linen sheets on the bed.

Her hair formed a brown halo around her, and he sat down on the dresser, clearing off the cluttered together make-up bottles, promptly waking her up with the loud noise of glass breaking.

"Lex?" she called out, and Lex leaned over to switch on the lamp next to him. It was a blue lava lamp that only added for the effect of his glare.

She shrieked, gripping the blankets tighter, seeing him and he smiled snidely.

_Fear not the flame of my lover's candle_

"I didn't thank you enough for releasing those photos to the media yet, Victoria. Thank you for making your life a living mess."

"I didn't think it would go this far," Victoria shrugged, smiling at him angelic.

"Of course you didn't. You don't think. Announcing to the world about my affection was really going to make me end up in your bed again."

"I do think. I think about how he'll never make you happy. I can do that. I understand you, Lex."

Lex burst out laughing and he had to clutch onto the lamppost to keep him from falling over from the mere thought that she understood him.

_Give unto me your troubles_

I'll endure your suffering

"I bought out everything. I came here to inform you that you have to move out of here by noon tomorrow. It seems the money that was used to pay the rent here, had some problems with it."

She glared at him, and he couldn't help the smiling. She looked like the evil bitch she was with the twisted look on her face. It almost made him forget how beautiful she was.

Lex slipped out of the door of her apartment and had re-boarded his private jet, before she could find the words she was searching for. She stared at the door with longing, and she untangled herself from her sheets, picking up the biggest shards of glass that Lex had created.

_Place unto me your burdens_

I'll drink your deadly poison

"You'll pay for this, Lex."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Lex? I need to talk to you!" the voice yelled from outside the door to his office. Heavy pounding on the door, which was irritating him, was what finally made him decide to let the insistent blonde in.

He hit the button to unlock the door and Chloe stumbled in, her hair sticking up straight and her pajamas rumpled, looking as if she had just woken up and came straight over to see him.

"What brings you here so early?" Lex yawned, taking another sip of his coffee that Lana had been sending over to him every hour to help him out.

"I got the newspaper. It hasn't hit the stands yet but it will in two hours. I wanted to give you a heads up for the coming chaos."

Lex arched an eyebrow at the integrity Chloe was showing, and motioned for her to sit down on the couch, handing her the mug of coffee. She laughed at him, still half asleep and took a swig of it, her eyes immediately perking up.

"I don't have enough energy to read it. What's the news I need to know?"

"Victoria is dead. You were seen leaving her place around her time of death. The police are investigating and you are currently their lead suspect. In other news, an article about Clark was written, revealing everything about him and his abilities that have erupted from the meteor shower. The government is trying to find him, they are declaring him a state of emergency. It's not looking good for him…"

Chloe was expecting Lex to do anything but what he did, picking up one of the empty wine glasses lying on the front table, and chucking it into the wall, smashing it. She looked at him warily and he sighed, leaning his head back.

"I'm sorry this is happening," Chloe apologized, setting her hand on his shoulder.

"I am too, but at least you came here. Thank you for giving me some extra time to deal with this."

Chloe nodded, sighing as well. The sight of Lex looking so tired and defeated frightened her, even worse then the times she had thought he might have killed her for working with Lionel.

"How are the Kent's handling all of this?" came out of the void of words.

"Jonathon is in the jail for trying to dismember a few of the reporters who have been bothering them this past week and Martha is with him. She took out a few people with a frying pan, the rumor holds."

Lex snorted at the imagery of that, and he smiled. It was nice to know that some things didn't change in the world after all of this.

"The world is having a field day with all of this. Even though the evidence may prove you didn't kill him, they are going to use this to try to take you and your corporation down into the graves. As for Clark, they aren't going to let him escape. They want to run experiments on him and use him as a tool. They been stocking up on the kryptonite to keep him in check and they are quarantining the town with a fence of it."

"They're serious this time, aren't they?"

Chloe nodded, and Lex grumbled, shakily getting to his feet.

"Where are you going?"

"Find Clark, tell him about this. Get him out while I can."

"He's hiding out in Dr. Swann's office."

Lex paused by the door to grin at Chloe who weakly returned the grin.

"I had my doubts about you, but you proven me wrong. Congrats," he bowed to her mockingly and the door closed behind him, with Chloe still smiling.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Fear not the flame of my love's candle_

Chloe had not failed him, and he had walked through the open mansion, taking in the sights. He knew Clark had taken refugee somewhere in there, and by the knowing glance on Dr. Swann's face, Clark had came there knowing he would be safe for awhile. The man had not said anything to the billionaire, just looked at him with those impassive eyes that held so much wisdom in a man who could not fully use it to his advantage.

The library was huge with stained-glassed windows filtering in pure light into the beige carpeted courtyard, surrounded by trees with branches dangling books. The majesty of the place impressed him and put him at ease, and it must have done the same thing to Clark because that was where he found him, reading a heavy looking book.

Lex took a seat next to him on the beanbags, and leaned over his shoulder to see what was being read. It was all in a language he had never seen before, and he instinctually knew it was the language of Clark's people.

He waited patiently for Clark to finish the book, fiddling with the tiny curly strands of hair at the nape of Clark's neck to keep him occupied, and when he heard the book close, Clark had turned to him, finished with the reading.

"Chloe told me you were here."

"She knew and the whole world doesn't know about it?" Clark couldn't hide the sarcasm in his voice.

"Your friendship meant more to her then getting the story."

A smile crept across his face, and he stretched his arms over his head, bringing them around Lex's neck to bring them closer together.

"What were you reading about?" Lex asked quietly, as he stroked Clark's cheek.

"He had some books on me, about my culture."

"Anything interesting?"

Clark nodded, scooting up closer and turned so they were nose to nose.

"They say that people from Krypton, have a designated soul-mate, and when they find them, they would spend their entire lives together. Their bond would be so great that not even death could separate them or being millions of miles apart. They could feel their loved one's presence across the galaxy just by thinking about them."

Lex could get out a content grunt as Clark's lips neared his, their cheeks sliding against each other, feeling Clark's breath against his ear.

"It is said that when the first time they kiss, it could change the fate of the world. Their lives would be forever mixed together, and no matter how long they deny it, gravity is pulling them together. But gravity only exists when they aren't together. Together, there are no laws or rules. Anything is possible."

A swift lick along the shell of his earlobe, and it felt like something broke inside him, as his vision distorted, sending him shaking. It was frightening how much power it had over him, but it felt so good.

"From the day they are born, they are connected. They pass each other as strangers in the night until the day they find each other and the truth is created. No one in the world understands them as well as their soul mate, and no one will ever make them feel as good as the other can."

Their lips finally met and a zap of electrity traveled down his spine, making his entire body tingle, as Clark kissed him hungrily. He was having trouble retaining his thinking, just wanting to get lost in the bliss of being touched and touching Clark, but everything Clark had said was true. It was right, it was too perfect for words, and it was too bad the world couldn't see that.

_Let it be the sun in your world of darkness_

He would inform Clark later about the charges being pressed against him and the people searching for Clark. He would do it very later because right now, he felt too good to care about that stuff and he wanted to lose him into a world of no worry or pain. Right now, he was with Clark, and that was all that mattered.


	7. Anywhere

It had been eighteen days, seven hours, and twenty-five minutes since Lex had touched Clark, not that anyone was counting actually. It made him feel even worse then when he had gotten hooked on cocaine and went through withdrawal. Though there were no psychical symptoms, having them on the inside hurt even worse.

It felt like he was walking through his life, playing a part. He waved and talked on command, but he would find at night he didn't remember a single thing he had said at the business meeting. It was just a blank screen and he had to often reread the notes his sectary would take during the meeting. She had gotten a pay raise and a bonus to keep her mouth shut about the state of the Luthor's.

There was a huge gaping hole in his body where his heart should have been, and he couldn't help but feel like he wasn't fully there, as if his mind had wandered off on a journey and had yet to find it's way back to his body.

_Dear my love, haven't you wanted to be with me?_

And dear my love, haven't you longed to be free?

The worst times of the day but were also his happiest were when he went to the Talon to read the newspaper and sip his black coffee. It would be then he would see Clark, who would be cleaning off the tables of their empty plates and cups, and washing the tables down so more money could be made.

The government had not been kidding, and Clark went into hiding. The bond for him if he was caught, was nearing the ten million mark and it was hard to go anywhere in the world without a posted sign throughout the various forms of media about Clark.

Clark was hiding out in his own backyard. Lex, owning the Talon, created a job that never existed to be a job he had always had as Nelly, who had worked there since the day they are opened. It hadn't been easy to make Clark unknown from all the small town folks who knew him, but it had been done with some adjustments.

Lex had done the piercing himself, to give Clark a wild boy appearance. Clark had agreed to it, knowing it wouldn't hurt him and the minute the piercing came out, he would heal up again. He had gotten three holes in each ear, with one on his eyebrow, one tongue, and a lip ring. He had turned gothic so he could hide behind the make-up, and just pretended to be a washed-up punk rock star wannabe.

_I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you_

Their eyes would connect across the Talon that was constantly filled with people, flocking to Smallville to get a shot at the meteor rocks and the other hopes it brought, having a resident alien around. They never got to talk even if they had the chance to, and Lex would turn into a schoolgirl, his heart fluttering. For the split second they could gaze longingly at each other, he would feel complete and then reality would return. And Lex wanted to cry, feeling so alone.

_And at sweet night, you are my own_

His company was soaring, profits had tripled, and he was at the top of the world. But inwardly he had died. He didn't care anymore about the company. All he wanted and needed in the world was Clark. Clark who occupied every waking thought, and his sleeping thoughts. But dreaming wasn't enough…anymore.

Lex sighed, shifting the blankets off his naked skin, and slid off of the bed. His feet connected with the ground, and in his trance, he walked downstairs to the garage. He vaguely remembered sliding on a thin long-sleeved shirt and discarded pajama bottoms that had been on the floor, and if he hadn't been sitting in the seat of the orange Dodge Viper, one of his less flashy cars, he wouldn't have known he had driven half way across town in the dark, still in his disillusioned state.

He felt fully awake now, as the cool wind ran along his scalp, and he smiled, reaching through his mind to find Clark. It had frightened him the first time he had tried it, but around the second or third try at it, he found it to oddly soothing. After all, only 5% of the brain was ever used in one's life, he had just accessed an unusual section of it.

{Clark}

Huh

{I need to see you}

Why? 

{Please…}

The desperation he had felt must have carried over because Clark was there in an instant, appearing by his side. Worry and confusion was engraved into his eyes and Lex looked up at Clark, from his position on the grass, leaning against the pine tree.

He extended his hand to grab Clark's and pull him to him. It was only by sheer grace that Clark didn't fall into Lex's body, but he realized it was the point as Lex clung to him, nails clawing into his back with a dull ache.

Soft kisses alternated with licks went up and down his neck, and he exhaled, his eyes falling closed naturally, as Lex's scent and warmth engulfed him. Eventually Lex must have stopped, since his heart rate was beginning to stabilize, and he peeked through his long eyelashes to see Lex scraping something into the tree trunk with a rock.

__

I have dreamt of a place for you and I

"What are you writing?" he asked when Lex turned around to look at him. Lex scooted over a few inches so Clark could see what he had written

__

**I love Clark**

Clark couldn't help laughing at the declaration of love, and tears began to stream down his face from the excursion of laughing so hard. Lex was staring at him, cheeks blushed from embarrassment, and a little bit of madness mixed in, obviously not getting the response he wanted.

"I like it," Clark declared, trying to appease Lex, kissing him gently. As they withdrew from each other, Clark smiled.

"I always wanted to write that. Just didn't have the right person to write it about," Lex mumbled, averting his eyes from Clark as he shrugged, trying to take the beauty out of his actions. It was the typical Lex reaction to everything in life.

_No one knows who we are there_

"I hate this!" It came out of nowhere out of Clark' mouth.

"Not being able to see each other?"

"Yeah. Seeing my parents every day and not being allowed to tell them about how I am doing…"

"Seeing you every day and being forbidden to touch you."

_All I want is to give my life only to you_

Lex seemed to be reading his mind, and Clark climbed on to Lex's lap, to place a kiss on his forehead. As he suspected, Lex's eyes slid closed to better sense the feel of his lips against his own skin, and who was Clark not to comply?

He brushed his lips against the chilled skin, drawing the coldness out of it. He watched in amusement with sick pride, Lex getting frustrated as Clark kept getting closer to his lips to only restart the cycle.

_I've dreamt so long I cannot dream anymore_

Their lips connected finally, and Lex's lips parted in anticipation for Clark but Clark still was refusing to kiss him, nibbled at the corners of his mouth. He grumbled in annoyance, and he could feel Clark smile, biting hard on his lip. He grunted in pain, and gave up on his rebellion. It wasn't like what Clark was doing didn't feel good. It was amazing, but he needed lip to lip contact.

Clark was slowly licking Lex's lips, and all thoughts of being obedient shot out of the window. It was too close and licked his lips, touching the tip to Clark's tongue.

What happened next wasn't what Lex was expecting as Clark bit his tongue in punishment, hard enough to break the skin. The salty iron-tasting blood began to ooze out of the small slit, and Clark, Clark took the tongue and sucked on it, clearing the blood off of it.

Erotic, was the only word that came to Lex's hazed mind, and he finally was allowed to taste Clark, the happiness of that was only overdone by the pleasure that was slowly filling up that hole inside of him.

_Let's run away, I'll take you there_

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The only thing keeping Clark from freaking out completely was the tight grasp Lex had on his wrist as they walked through the fields of corn to his house. He was terrified about the future that they were going to create, because Lex had told him the truth. Neither of them was meant to have a happy life if destiny was correct in saying what would they both become. So they were going to make their own path.

Lex had not informed him on the details, he had just told him to get in contact with all of their close friends and family, and tell them to meet in the Kent's living room at eleven at night.

Clark exchanged a worried look at Lex who smiled at him, sliding his hand down to grab Clark's and squeezed, reassuring him that everything would turn out okay.

They were nearing the house and Clark did a quick scan of the house with his x-ray vision. He couldn't help but feel like something was going to go wrong and they were being watched. Lex paused at his side until Clark was sure that there weren't hidden spies or cameras around.

Lex led him to the side door and they slipped in, Clark tapping the door shut with his foot. Lex stopped before shortly entering the living room where their guests were mingling and looked up at Clark.

"This is going to go fine, trust me on that," he whispered, leaning up to capture Clark's lips. It was short but sweet and Clark felt the tension ooze out of him. Lex grinned at him, and they walked into the living room, hand in hand.

The shocked look on all their faces seeing Clark warmed his heart and it was his parents who got to him first to hug him, and he returned it, tears running down his face. He had been there for only a minute and already he was sobbing. It was going to be a hard night as he moved along to grab his favorite two girls, Chloe and Lana and he swung them around easily, which both giggled.

Pete was sitting in the corner next to Gabe, looking out of place in the confusion and smiled at Clark, who was getting nervous, knowing how much Pete hated Lex. Clark sighed and hugged his friend, and gave a respectable nod to Chloe's dad before taking a seat next to his parents as Lex towered at the head of the room.

"Now that the hug-fest is over with, I have came here with Clark to tell you what the deal is going to be from now on," Lex's eyes scanned over the people in the room, just daring them to speak. Clark would have giggled if not for the dire consequences it held.

"The picture of us on the newspaper last month was true. Clark and I are together. I am sorry that Clark's secret had to be exposed and all of this had to happen. All of your lives have been screwed up by this little mishap and I apologize greatly for not being able to stop it from happening.

"Clark can no longer live the life he should be having. And I, though my life has returned to normal, I am not enjoying it, having to hide myself from the world. All of you have been terrific with hiding Clark and allowing me to take care of the government but I think all of us are tired of hiding. That is why I am proposing…I mean telling you that tomorrow evening, Clark and I will be leaving. Permanently…to a place where no one will ever bother us again."

Everyone in the room was shocked, and Lex looked at Clark to gage his reaction. He was confused but his face was lit up, excited. Their eyes met and Clark beamed. Lex exhaled, realizing he had been holding his breath.

_We're leaving here tonight_

"But can't they still find you? I mean, you and Clark aren't exactly people who can blend in well…" Lana asked.

_There's no need to tell anyone_

They'd only hold us down

"They won't be able to tell who they are, if they don't remember us." Lex smirked, exposing the side to him that was all business, the fun of winning and terrorizing the enemy.

Seeing he had everyone's attention as the silence came to a roar, he spoke. " I have been researching from Dr. Swann the properties of the powers that Clark holds. And we came to the conclusion that he can erase memories. Of course, we haven't tested this yet to know if it can work, but it's our best hope. This meeting was held to tell you of this plan. As of tomorrow, at noon, we shall start erasing people's memories. Only the people in this room shall have any memory of us or the events that have transpired from the date of our births to this moment now. In a sense, we will have never existed though it is very obvious we have."

_So by the morning's light_

We'll be half way to anywhere

"But what about the documents that you are in?" Chloe asked, and he smiled at her. She had read his next thought.

"I want you to erase all the pictures that are even associated with Lex Luthor or Clark Kent. I want you to get rid of the stories. Gabe will have owned the plant for all of for the ten or so years that I have been running it. The Kent's will have never had had a son. All of the incidents that have taken place in Smallville the past few years resolved themselves on its own. Lionel shall have had two sons, but both of them died. Clark and me will be said to have both died the day of the car accident. Just two random people, leave out the names. I think you get the idea."

Chloe nodded as did her father, and he turned to the Kent's who were clutching their son who was squished between them. They were hovering over him, protecting him and he had to laugh.

"You both have been wonderful parents to Clark. It makes me wish I had had parents who were as kind as you are to Clark. You will retain all your memories of this, and I give you money and we will send you letters to tell you of how we are doing. Clark will be able to drop by and see you anytime as will you to him. This was the only way I could think to keep Clark safe."

Martha's hand came up to grip his chin, and she stroked his cheek with her free hand. " You're a good boy, Lex," was all she said, and she hugged him, dislocating Clark on the couch. As he pulled away free, he felt a pat on the back from Jonathon and he spun around.

"You aren't a Luthor." That had been said to his back as Jonathon got up to get the tissue box for the sobbing girls who were sniffling obsessively.

Lex couldn't help the shocked look on his face, and he sniffled, touched considerably.

Clark hugged him from behind, and Lex sighed, content for the moment.

"I like the idea." Clark whispered into his ear.

"I don't know if you can even do it."

"I can try. If it doesn't work, we'll figure something else out."

Lex nodded. " We can leave in a second. Start saying your good-byes and I will talk to Pete and Lana."

Clark and him split ways, and he walked over to Lana and Pete who were hugging, Lana using him as a human tissue/pillow.

"I don't need to tell either of you that you can never talk again about Clark or I again. When we get set up, we'll come up here to visit you."

He walked away before he could see their nods, and slipped out the front door to sit on the stairs up to the front porch, waiting for Clark to say his mushy good-byes.

_Where love is more than just your name_

****

Forget this life

Come with me

Don't look back, you're safe now

Unlock your heart

Drop your guard

No one's left to stop you

The first year had gone by without a hitch, and though he loved the seclusion where Lex had gotten built their new house, he missed the snow. It was funny, most people would love to never see snow again, but snow was something-such a part of him that he felt weird without seeing it.

So he had told Lex he was going to go up North to see his parents to help them set up the farm for the winter. Lex hadn't complained much, he would meet him later after he checked all the Luthor Corp plant's finances to make sure they were running fine under his unknown name. In the end, Lex couldn't give up his plants willingly and so they kept them, owning them under a name known as Mr. McNasty which had gotten many laughs out of Clark who had no idea Lex knew how to be funny when it came to business.

He had to run out to the store for some batteries for the flashlights because a blizzard was coming, when he ran into Nell literally, spilling her piled packages on the ground which were in her hands. It was when he picked them up to her, and handed them to her, she looked at him.

"I think I have seen you from somewhere, but I can't remember. Do I know you?" she had asked him.

He shook his head and she smiled at him, which he returned. " Are you sure that I have never met you before?"

"Yeah, I am not from around here," he said, not lying, and she had laughed at him, and she had gone on with her business.

Author's Note: Yes, I know I could have made the ending more detailed. But I didn't feel like it. I think it speaks for itself. It gives it a more abstract feel I would say. I really did want to write another making-out scene and I could do it and fit it in the story without too many problems, but…oh well. I think there are good enough ones in the story already.

The ending paragraph comes from the anime "Serial Experiments Lain" in the last episode. This is where the idea came from. If you ever get a chance to see it, it's haunting.

If you haven't realized it yet, every song I used in this story was from the band "Evanescence." That is why it is the title to this story. It means to have a vapor like quality, and I decided it was too cool not to use and it fits oddly enough.

The songs were used to outline the story and the name of each song that was used is the chapter title.

Thank you for reading this work of fiction and please review.

All ideas belong to me, the characters and all other things belong to whoever they respectably belong to.

And here's to writing Clark and Lex…may they prosper together in our dreams since they could never be together in real life though that would be amazingly hot and perfect.

****


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